Taft College

Taft College

Institutional Self Study Report in Support of Reaffirmation of Accreditation

Submitted by

West Kern Community College District

29 Emmons Park Drive

Taft CA 93268 to

Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges

Western Association of Schools and Colleges

July 2009

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Preface

 Taft College 2009 Accreditation Self Study Report 

Preface iii

Certification of the Institutional Self Study Report

To:

From:

Date:

Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges,

Western Association of Schools and Colleges

Taft College

29 Emmons Park Drive

Taft CA 93268

July 9 th , 2009

This Institutional Self Study Report is submitted for the purpose of assisting in the determination of the institution’s accreditation status.

We certify that there was broad participation by the campus community, and we believe that the Self Study Report accurately reflects the nature and substance of this institution.


iv Preface

Table of Contents

Part I: Preface

Certification of the Self Study Report ..................................................... iii

Table of Contents ................................................................................ iv

Introduction ....................................................................................... vii

History of Taft College ................................................................ vii

Demographics ............................................................................. ix

Administrators, Faculty and Classified Staff ............................. x

Students ......................................................................... xxiv

Previous Self study Action Plans .................................................. xliii

Student Achievement Data ......................................................... xlv

Student Learning Outcomes ........................................................ xlv

Off-Campus Sites and Distance Learning ...................................... xlvi

Audits and Federal Grants ......................................................... xlvii

Abstract of the Report ...................................................................... xlvix

Organization of the Self Study ............................................................... lii

Organization of the Institution ............................................................... lv

Certification of Continued Compliance with Eligibility Requirements ........... lvi

Responses to Recommendations from the Most Recent Comprehensive

Evaluation ................................................................................. lxii

Evaluation of Institutional Effectiveness .............................................. lxviii

Program Review ...................................................................... lxviii

Planning ................................................................................... lxxi

Student Learning Outcomes ...................................................... lxxiv


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Part II: Standards

Standard I: Institutional Mission and Effectiveness ................................... 1

A. Mission ................................................................................... 1

B. Improving Institutional Effectiveness .......................................... 6

Standard II: Student Learning Programs and Services ............................ 21

A. Instructional Programs ............................................................ 21

B. Student Support Services ........................................................ 59

C. Library and Learning Programs and Services .............................. 82

Standard III: Resources ...................................................................... 95

A. Human Resources .................................................................. 95

B. Physical Resources ............................................................... 109

C. Technology Resources ........................................................... 117

D. Financial Resources .............................................................. 124

Standard IV: Leadership and Governance ............................................ 137

A. Decision-Making Roles and Processes ...................................... 137

B. Board and Administrative Organization ................................... 148

Part III: Appendices

Appendices ...................................................................................... 173

Appendix A: Planning Summary ................................................. 174

Appendix B: Acronyms Used in the Self Study Report ................... 176

Appendix C: Organizational Structure Charts ............................... 178


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Preface


Preface vii

Introduction aft College has changed dramatically since its last accreditation reaffirmation in 2003 and perhaps has changed more dramatically than at any time since 1957 when the buildings at the current campus were first constructed. Full-time Equivalent Student (FTES) and enrollments have continued to climb steadily, even when they were dropping statewide. This is true in all programs, including remedial, career and technical education, college level, and distance learning. The demographic makeup of the community served by Taft College and the demographic profile of Taft

College students continues to change as well. For the first time in its history,

White students are no longer a majority of on-campus students and headcount for distance learning courses has exceeded the headcount for oncampus courses. Since its last accreditation reaffirmation, Taft College has all new senior administrators: one superintendent/president, three vice presidents, and one new dean. There are also, of course, many new faculty and staff. The average age of the administrators and faculty are at their lowest since records were kept. The college is undergoing a major renovation with a new administration and student services building, a new library, a new child development center, and new science buildings. More new buildings are planned. Temporary classroom and office buildings have been constructed until the permanent buildings can be completed. In addition, the campus enrollment information system is being completely replaced for the first time in decades. After obtaining several grants, Taft

College has implemented many new programs to facilitate student success in basic skills, English, math, science, technology, and engineering. All of these dramatic changes have added to the vibrant and exciting atmosphere at Taft

College as faculty and staff continue to provide the best education possible to its students.

History of Taft College

Taft Junior College was established August 30, 1922, as part of the Taft

Union High School District. Classes were first held on the high school campus. The school title officially became Taft College on July 1, 1954, and in September of 1956, a separate campus opened in the current location at

29 Emmons Park Drive adjacent to the high school. The West Kern Junior

College District was formed in an election on June 19, 1962, and became operative on July 1, 1963. Two years later the Maricopa Unified District was annexed to the West Kern Junior College District. The district’s name was changed to the West Kern Community College District on July 1, 1971.

The West Kern Community College District is a single-campus district under the guidance of a five-member Board of Trustees. The chief executive officer


viii Preface is the superintendent/president of the district. Taft College is located in the

City of Taft in the southwestern corner of the San Joaquin Valley. The district contains 735 square miles and is composed of the school districts of Taft,

Midway, McKittrick, Elk Hills, the Taft Union High School District, and the

Maricopa Unified District. The service area of Taft College has a population base of about 18,000 people as of 2008.



Demographics

Demographic profiles for the last six years for Taft College administrators, faculty, classified staff, and students are presented in this section. For employees, demographic variables include age, gender, race, and average annual salary. For students, demographic variables include age, gender, race, part-time/fulltime status, on-campus/distance learning status, major, educational goal, and city of origin.

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Preface x

Administrators, Faculty, and Classified Staff

Age

Table 1. Number (N) and Mean Age of Administrators, Faculty, and Classified Staff by Term

Group

Fall 2003

N Mean

Fall 2004

N Mean

Fall 2005

N Mean

Fall 2006

N Mean

Fall 2007

N Mean

Fall 2008

N Mean

Educational

Administrator

Academic on Tenure

Track, Tenured

7

50

49.6

48.8

7

42

50.6

50.0

7

46

49.6

49.6

7

47

50.6

49.2

5

55

48.6

46.8

7

56

46.9

46.8

Academic Temporary

(Adjunct)

Classified

52 51.6 58 48.5 49 48.9 57 49.9 55 48.7 49 46.7

137 44.4 149 44.6 149 44.6 164 43.3 169 42.8 158 42.7

Table 1 shows the mean age of Taft College employees and the numbers for each group over time. These same numbers appear in some of the following tables, and where they are not shown, the numbers of employees in each category can be assumed to be the same as in Table 1.



Figure 1. Mean Age of Administrators, Faculty, and Classified Staff by Term

52

51

50

49

48

47

46

45

44

43

Educational Administrator

Academic on Tenure Track, Tenured

Academic Temporary (Adjunct)

Classified

42

Fall 2003 Fall 2004 Fall 2005 Fall 2006 Fall 2007 Fall 2008

Term

The mean ages of Taft College employees over the six-year period ranged between 42.7 years for classified staff in fall 2008 and 51.6 years for adjunct faculty in fall 2003. Due primarily to retirements and employees leaving for various other reasons and the replacement of those older employees with younger employees, the average age of all employee categories has declined steadily since fall 2006.

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Gender

Table 2. Number (N) and Percentage (%) of Gender of Administrators, Faculty, and Classified Staff by Term

Group

Educational

Administrator

Academic on Tenure

Track, Tenured

Academic Temporary

(Adjunct)

Classified

Gender

Female

Male

Female

Male

Female

Male

Female

Male

Fall 2003

N %

3

4

42.9

57.1

26

24

24

28

97

40

52.0

48.0

46.2

53.8

70.8

29.2

Fall 2004

N %

3

4

42.9

57.1

18

24

27

31

106

43

42.9

57.1

46.6

53.4

71.1

28.9

Fall 2005

N %

2

5

28.6

71.4

21

25

18

31

114

35

45.7

54.3

36.7

63.3

76.5

23.5

Fall 2006

N %

2

5

28.6

71.4

22

25

27

30

124

40

46.8

53.2

47.4

52.6

75.6

24.4 xii

Fall 2007

N %

2

3

40.0

60.0

26

29

30

25

125

44

47.3

52.7

54.5

45.5

74.0

26.0

Fall 2008

N %

2

5

28.6

71.4

32

24

25

24

114

44

57.1

42.9

51.0

49.0

72.2

27.8



Figure 2. Percent Gender of Administrators by Term

100.0

90.0

80.0

70.0

Female

Male

60.0

50.0

40.0

30.0

20.0

10.0

0.0


Term

Due to the low number of administrators at Taft College, the gender balance can shift dramatically with only one person’s position. As of spring 2009, however, all of the senior administrators were male.

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Figure 3. Gender Composition of Tenure Track and Tenured Faculty by Term

100.0

90.0

80.0

70.0

Female

Male

60.0

50.0

40.0

30.0

20.0

xiv

10.0

0.0


Term

As shown in Figure 3, the percentages of females and males of full-time faculty were roughly equal to each other over the six year period, fluctuating back and forth throughout terms. The greatest differences between females and males were in fall 2004, when males outnumbered females by 57.1% to 42.9%, and in fall 2008, when the difference changed direction and females outnumbered males by 57.1% to 42.9%.



Figure 4. Gender Composition of Adjunct Faculty by Term

100.0

90.0

80.0

70.0

Female

Male

60.0

50.0

40.0

30.0

20.0

10.0

0.0


Term

Similar to the gender profile for full-time faculty, the gender profile for adjunct faculty fluctuates back and forth between majority female and male over the six years since Taft College’s last accreditation self study. As of fall 2008, 51.0% of adjunct faculty were female and 49.0% were male.

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Figure 5. Gender Composition of Classified Staff by Term

100.0

90.0

80.0

70.0

Female

Male

60.0

50.0

40.0

30.0

20.0

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10.0

0.0


Term

Figure 5 shows that the majority of classified staff, approximately 70% to 75%, was consistently female for each term since fall 2003. The campus units that are primarily female-staffed include the Human

Resources Department, the Children’s Center, the Migrant Services Office, the Business Office, the bookstore, the cafeteria, the library, the Counseling Center, the Registrar’s Office, the Transition to

Independent Living program, and various other support positions such as administrative assistants. The campus units that are primarily male-staffed include Information Services and the Maintenance and

Operations Department.



Race

Table 3. Number (N) and Racial Percentage (%) of Administrators, Faculty, and Classified Staff by Term

Group Race

Fall 2003

N %

Fall 2004

N %

Fall 2005

N %

Fall 2006

N %

Fall 2007

N %

Fall 2008

N %

Educational

Administrator

Faculty on

Tenure

Track,

Tenured

Faculty

Temporary

(Adjunct)

Classified

Asian

Black

Hispanic

Nat Am

Pac Isl

White

Asian

Black

Hispanic

Nat Am

Pac Isl

White

Asian

Black

Hispanic

Nat Am

Pac Isl

White

Asian

Black

Hispanic

Nat Am

Pac Isl

10.9

1.8

1.8

78.2

5.5

3.6

12.7

1.8

20.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

80.0

1.8

5.5

0.0

76.4

0.6

1.2

16.6

0.0

0.6

6

1

1

43

3

2

7

1

0

4

1

3

1

0

0

0

0

42

1

2

28

0

1

6.4

2.1

2.1

83.0

0.0

3.5

10.5

1.8

14.3

0.0

14.3

0.0

0.0

71.4

2.1

4.3

5.3

78.9

0.6

1.2

15.9

0.0

1.2

3

1

1

39

0

2

6

1

0

5

1

2

1

0

1

0

3

45

1

2

26

0

2

6.5

2.2

2.2

82.6

0.0

4.1

6.1

0.0

14.3

0.0

14.3

0.0

0.0

71.4

2.2

4.3

2.0

87.8

0.7

0.0

16.1

0.0

1.3

3

1

1

38

0

2

3

0

0

5

1

2

1

0

1

0

1

43

1

0

24

0

2

4.8

2.4

2.4

85.7

0.0

1.7

6.9

0.0

0.0

0.0

28.6

0.0

0.0

71.4

2.4

2.4

3.4

87.9

0.7

0.0

14.8

0.0

1.3

2

1

1

36

0

1

4

0

0

5

1

1

0

0

2

0

2

51

1

0

22

0

2

4.0

2.0

2.0

88.0

0.0

3.8

3.8

3.8

0.0

0.0

28.6

0.0

0.0

71.4

2.0

2.0

0.0

88.5

1.5

0.0

16.2

0.0

1.5

2

1

1

44

0

2

2

2

0

5

1

1

0

0

2

0

0

46

2

0

22

0

2

White 110 80.9 124 83.2 122 81.9 133 81.1 137 81.1 129 81.6

Table 3 breaks down by number and percentage the racial demographics of Taft College employees by term. Taft College is one of the smaller rural colleges in the California Community College system and has traditionally enjoyed a relatively low turnover rate among its employees. Consequently, the demographic profile of its employees has changed gradually over time to reflect similar changes in the college’s service area. The following figures show racial profiles separately for each employee group.

1

1

7

1

4

1

1

46

0

5

1

3

1

0

1

0

1

38

1

2

25

0

1

7.1

1.8

1.8

82.1

2.0

2.0

14.3

2.0

14.3

0.0

14.3

0.0

0.0

71.4

1.8

5.4

2.0

77.6

0.6

1.3

15.8

0.0

0.6

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Preface

Figure 6. Percentage by Race of Administrators by Term

100.0

90.0

80.0

70.0

60.0

50.0

40.0

30.0

20.0

10.0

0.0

xviii


Term

Taft College, being one of the smaller colleges in the California Community College system, has a relatively small number of administrators and managers—only five to seven, depending on the term.

Consequently, adding one person can change the percentage of a racial category by up to 20%. This being said, three racial categories are represented for administrators over the six year period: White, ranging from 71.4% to 80%; Hispanic, ranging from 0.0% (in fall 2007) to 28.6%; and Asian, ranging from

14.3% to 20.0% of the administration depending on the term.



Figure 7. Racial Percentage of Tenure Track and Tenured Faculty by Term

100.0

90.0

80.0

70.0

60.0

50.0

40.0

30.0

20.0

10.0

0.0


Term

Figure 7 shows the majority of Taft College tenure track and tenured faculty (78.2% to 88.0%, depending on the term) is White. This percentage has declined about 6% between fall 2003 and fall 2008 as the percentage of Black and Hispanic faculty has increased. These demographic changes among Taft College faculty mirror the demographic changes in the Taft College service area, albeit more slowly due to the low turnover rate for faculty in particular. It should be noted that, like administrators, the total faculty count is small, so relatively minor fluctuations of faculty numbers within any racial category can have a large impact on the percentage for that category.

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Figure 8. Racial Percentage of Adjunct Faculty by Term

100.0

90.0

80.0

70.0

60.0

50.0

40.0

30.0

20.0

10.0

0.0

xx


Term

As one might expect, the racial profile for adjunct faculty is similar to the profile for full-time faculty: there has been a general decline in the percentage of the majority White racial group, and this decline has been offset by a rise in the percentage of non-white groups, primarily the Hispanic racial group.



Figure 9. Racial Percentage of Classified Staff by Term

100.0

90.0

80.0

70.0

60.0

50.0

40.0

30.0

20.0

10.0

0.0


Term

A very flat trend of percentages for each racial category of classified staff across the entire six year period is demonstrated in Figure 9, despite fluctuations in the number of employees each year.

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Salary

Table 4. Mean Annual Salary of Administrators, Tenure Track/Tenured Faculty, and Classified Staff by Term

Group

Educational

Administrator

Academic on Tenure

Track, Tenured

Fall 2003

108,941.57

61,945.76

Fall 2004

110,012.00

70,643.38

Fall 2005

118,470.86

74,351.26

Fall 2006

128,998.29

81,578.00

Fall 2007

135,005.00

81,780.95

Fall 2008

125,659.71

79,702.98

Classified 27,340.21 28,741.55 29,734.83 33,671.23 35,631.77 38,877.08

Personnel changes in Administration and Faculty account for the reduction in mean salaries in fall 2008.

Classified salaries increased due to step increases in the salary schedule and reclassification of some existing positions.



Figure 10. Mean Annual Salary of Administrators, Tenure Track/Tenured Faculty, and Classified Staff by

Term

140,000

130,000

120,000

110,000

100,000

Educational Administrator

Academic on Tenure Track, Tenured

Classified

90,000

80,000

70,000

60,000

50,000

40,000

30,000

20,000

Fall 2003 Fall 2004 Fall 2005

Term


The mean annual salary for all three categories of

Taft College employees went up between fall

2003 and fall 2007. By fall 2008, the mean salaries fell somewhat for tenure track/tenured faculty and administrators, and continued to rise for classified staff. The drops in annual mean salary in fall 2008 for administrators and faculty were due to retirements or replacement of more highly paid employees.

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Students

Part-Time/Full-Time Status

Table 5. Number (N) and Percentage (%) of Part-Time (PT) and Full-Time (FT) Students by Term

PT/FT

Fall 2003

N %

Fall 2004

N %

Fall 2005

N %

Fall 2006

N %

Fall 2007

N %

Fall 2008

N %

PT

FT

1,499

663

69.3

30.7

1,488

790

65.3

34.7

1,506

809

65.1

34.9

1,487

824

64.3

35.7

2,246

979

69.6

30.4

1,780

898

66.5

33.5

Total 2,162 100.0 2,278 100.0 2,315 100.0 2,311 100.0 3,225 100.0 2,678 100.0

Table 5 shows the percentage of part-time and full-time students based on all students enrolled (except

WESTEC) as of the fourteenth day of classes of each fall term. The numbers include all distance learning students and Taft Correctional Institution students. The percentage of students who were enrolled fulltime (12 units or more) ranged from a low of 30.4% in fall 2007 to a high of 35.7% in fall 2006. The total count for fall 2007 is unusually high due to a large number of students enrolled in an English as a Second

Language (ESL) pilot outreach program during this time, and this statistical ―blip‖ will show in numerous tables and figures in this section on student demographics. Overall, there is no discernable change in the pattern during this time frame as to whether students enrolled full-time or part-time.



Figure 11. Percentage of Total Headcount for Part-Time and Full-Time Students by Term

100.0

90.0

PT

FT

80.0

70.0

60.0

50.0

40.0

30.0

20.0

10.0

0.0


Term

Figure 11 graphically portrays the data given in Table 5. The blue colored bars represent the percentage of all students who were enrolled part time, and the red colored bars are the mirror image percentage of students who were enrolled full-time. Between fall 2003 and fall 2008, there is a smooth rolling curve of each category of part-time and full-time students, with the percentage of part-time students hovering around 65% to 70% of the total, and the full-time students making up around 30% to 35% of the total.

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On-Campus and Distance Learning

Table 6. Number (N) and Percentage (%) of On-Campus and Distance Learning Students by Term

Mode

Fall 2003

N %

Fall 2004

N %

Fall 2005

N %

Fall 2006

N %

Fall 2007

N %

Fall 2008

N %

Overlap Mode

On-Campus

Distance Learning

1,448

1,093

1,536

1,215

1,518

1,272

1,453

1,401

2,257

1,554

1,573

1,904

Separate Mode

OC Only 1,069 49.4 1,063 46.7 1,043 45.1 910 39.4 1,671 51.8 774 28.9

Both OC and DL 379 17.5 473 20.8 475 20.5 543 23.5 586 18.2 799 29.8

DL Only 714 33.0 742 32.6 797 34.4 858 37.1 968 30.0 1,105 41.3

Total 2,162 100.0 2,278 100.0 2,315 100.0 2,311 100.0 3,225 100.0 2,678 100.0

Table 6 is divided into two sections. The first section, ―Overlap Mode,‖ gives the total number of students enrolled in on-campus courses and the total number of students enrolled in distance learning courses; these two groups overlap with a certain number of students taking both on-campus and distance learning courses. The second section of Table 6, ―Separate Mode,‖ separates the same students into three mutually exclusive groups: those taking only on-campus courses, those taking both on-campus and distance learning, and those taking only distance learning courses. Both sections of Table 6 are important in understanding the pattern of enrollments in Taft College's on-campus and distance learning courses.

The following two pages provide a description of the data in Table 6, using Figures 12 and 13 that graphically illustrate the numbers in Table 6. A cursory glance at the ―Overlap Mode‖ cells in Table 6 indicates that, except for fall 2007 with the enrollment of the ESL outreach pilot program students, oncampus numbers fluctuated slightly up and down during this time period while distance learning numbers increased steadily. When looking at the ―Separate Mode‖ entries, the numbers and percentages for ―OC

Only‖ steadily declined over the entire time period (except for fall 2007) while the numbers and percentages for ―Both OC and DL‖ steadily increased. This indicates that on-campus students are increasingly supplementing their on-campus courses with distance learning courses. On the other hand, the ―DL Only‖ mode has seen steady growth in both numbers and as a percentage of the whole (again, except for fall 2007).



Figure 12 graphically shows the number of students enrolled in on-campus courses and in distance learning courses between fall 2003 and fall 2008 as of the first day of classes. The two categories of students (on-campus and distance learning) are not mutually exclusive. That is, a student can be in both categories if he or she is enrolled in at least one on-campus course and at least one distance learning

Figure 12. Total Headcount for On-Campus and Distance Learning Students by Term

2400

2200

2000

1800

1600

1400

1200

1000

On-Campus

Distance Learning course within a fall term. Consequently,


Term

Fall 2006 Fall 2007 the numbers from the on-campus and distance learning categories cannot be added together to produce a total.

Fall 2008

It is clear from Figure 12 that the number of students taking distance learning courses has increased steadily since fall 2003. On the other hand, the number of students taking on-campus courses declined slightly between fall 2004 and fall 2006, a trend that was apparent statewide. Headcount then spiked in fall 2007 due to the increase in enrollment of ESL outreach pilot program students, and the spike fell off in fall 2008.

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Figure 13. Total Headcount for On-Campus Only, Both On-Campus and Distance Learning, and Distance

Learning Only Students by Term

1800

1600

1400

1200

1000

800

600

OC Only

Both OC and DL

DL Only

The three categories of students shown in Figure

13 are comprised of entirely different students: (1) students taking only on-campus courses, (2) students taking both on-campus and distance learning classes, and (3) students taking only distance learning courses. Here it is clear that the population taking only distance learning courses has steadily

400

200


Term

Fall 2006 Fall 2007 Fall 2008 increased between fall

2003 and fall 2008. The population taking both on-campus and distance learning courses has also steadily increased, and by fall 2008 it was slightly larger in size than the group taking only on-campus courses. Ignoring the spike in headcount in fall 2007, there was a steady decline in the on-campus only group, which started out as the single largest group in fall 2003. This is undeniable evidence of the popularity among Taft College students of supplementing their on-campus courses with one or more distance learning courses.



Student Age

Table 7. Number and Mean Student Age by Term

Age

Number

Fall 2003

2,162

Fall 2004

2,278

Fall 2005

2,315

Mean 35.8

As shown in Figure 14, the mean student age at Taft College has clearly decreased between fall 2003 and fall 2008. The drop in mean age was about eight years over the six years of the observed time period. This drop in mean age has been attributed to aggressive recruiting at area high schools of traditional college age students.

38.0

36.0

34.0

32.0

30.0

28.0

32.7 31.4

Figure 14. Student Mean Age by Term

Fall 2006

2,311

30.1

Fall 2007

3,225

30.6

26.0


Term

Fall 2006 Fall 2007

Fall 2008

2,678

27.8

Fall 2008

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Student Gender

Table 8. Number (N) and Percentage (%) of Student Gender by Term

Gender

Fall 2003

N %

Fall 2004

N %

Fall 2005

N %

Female

Male

(unknown)

1,281

875

6

59.3

40.5

0.3

1,320

958

0

57.9

42.1

0.0

1,366

949

0

59.0

41.0

0.0

Fall 2006

N %

1,378

933

0

59.6

40.4

0.0

Fall 2007

N %

2,056

1169

0

63.8

36.2

0.0

Fall 2008

N %

1,701

945

32

Total 2,162 100.0 2,278 100.0 2,315 100.0 2,311 100.0 3,225 100.0 2,678

Table 8 and Figure 15 show the gender breakdown by number and percentage of all on-campus and distance learning students by term.

63.5

35.3

1.2

100.0



Figure 15. Gender Composition of On-campus Students by Term

100.0

90.0

80.0

70.0

Female

Male

60.0

50.0

40.0

30.0

20.0

10.0

0.0


Term


Like most community colleges in Calfornia, the percentage of females at

Taft College consistently runs about 60% to 65%.

Preface xxxi

Preface xxxii

Student Race

Table 9. Number (N) and Percentage (%) of Student Race by Term

Race

Fall 2003

N %

Fall 2004

N %

Fall 2005

N %

Fall 2006

N %

Fall 2007

N %

Fall 2008

N %

Asian

Black

Filipino

Hispanic

Native American

Pacific Islander

White

Other, Unknown

57

148

21

666

34

28

1,131

77

2.6

6.8

1.0

30.8

61

127

28

689

1.6

1.3

29

23

52.3 1,194

3.6 127

2.7

5.6

1.2

30.2

61

129

22

721

1.3

1.0

26

31

52.4 1,157

5.6 168

2.6

5.6

1.0

31.1

65

133

25

742

1.1

1.3

27

28

50.0 1,137

7.3 154

2.8

5.8

62

110

1.1 31

32.1 1,441

1.2

1.2

28

23

49.2 1,292

6.7 238

1.9

3.4

1.0

44.7

88

110

26

966

0.9

0.7

33

17

40.1 1,225

7.4 213

Total 2,162 100.0 2,278 100.0 2,315 100.0 2,311 100.0 3,225 100.0 2,678 100.0

Because different types of information are conveyed by numbers and percentages, the following two figures show numbers and percentages of student race separately.

3.3

4.1

1.0

36.1

1.2

0.6

45.7

8.0



Figure 16. Number of Students by Race by Term

1500

1400

1300

1200

1100

1000

900

800

700

600

500

400

300

200

Asian

Filipino

Native American

White

Black

Hispanic

Pacific Islander

Other, Unknown

100

0


Term

The number of Whites remained between 1,100 and 1,200 between fall 2003 and fall 2006, and then increased to between 1,200 and 1,300 afterward. Hispanics showed a smooth line increase between fall

2003 and fall 2006, and their headcount almost doubled in fall 2007 to around 1,450 due to the ESL outreach pilot program, surpassing the number for Whites. When the pilot program ended, the headcount for Hispanics dropped to between 900 and 1,000. The numbers of the other racial groups stayed about the same across the six year period.

Preface xxxiii

Preface

Figure 17. Percentage of Students by Race by Term

100.0

90.0

80.0

70.0

60.0

Asian

Filipino

Native American

White

50.0

40.0

30.0

20.0

Black

Hispanic

Pacific Islander

Other, Unknown xxxiv

10.0

0.0


Term

In fall 2003 Whites made up 52.3% of the student body, and by fall 2006 fell below 50% for the first time in Taft College history. In fall 2007, the total percentage who identified themselves as Hispanic climbed above the percentage who identified themselves as White, and then fell below the percentage of Whites by fall 2008. This figure suggests that, if the present trend of Hispanic growth continues, Hispanics will become the plurality group within a few years and eventually become the majority group shortly thereafter.



Student Educational Goal

Table 10. Number (N) and Percentage (%) of Student Educational Goals by Term

Student Educational Goal

Fall 2003

N %

Fall 2004

N %

Fall 2005

N %

Obtain an associate ’s degree and transfer to a 4-year institution

Transfer to a 4-year institution without an associate ’s degree

Obtain a two year associate ’s degree without transfer

Obtain a two year vocational degree without transfer

Discover/formulate career interests, plans, goals

Prepare for a new career

(acquire job skills)

Advance in current job/career

(update job skills)

Maintain certificate or license

(e.g. Nursing, Real Estate)

Educational development

(intellectual, cultural)

Improve basic skills in English, reading or math

Complete credits for high school diploma or GED

Undecided on goal

To move from noncredit coursework to credit coursework

4 year college student taking courses to meet 4 year college requirements

(unknown)

Total

1,034

124

158

84

24

80

61

52

269

27

0

228

0

0

47.8 1,103

5.7

7.3

3.9

1.1

3.7

2.8

2.4

12.4

1.2

0.0

10.5

0.0

0.0

140

146

106

30

87

49

52

294

15

0

247

0

0

48.4 1,174

6.1

6.4

4.7

1.3

3.8

2.2

2.3

12.9

0.7

0.0

10.8

0.0

0.0

157

143

84

39

76

50

54

258

17

0

253

0

0

50.7 1,188

6.8

6.2

3.6

1.7

3.3

2.2

2.3

11.1

0.7

0.0

10.9

0.0

0.0

Fall 2006

N %

146

186

62

28

113

46

53

130

62

0

294

0

0

6.3

8.0

2.7

1.2

4.9

2.0

2.3

5.6

2.7

0.0

12.7

0.0

0.0

Fall 2007

N %

51.4 1,350

176

164

72

30

132

60

71

625

135

0

400

1

0

Fall 2008

N %

41.9 1,092

5.5

5.1

2.2

0.9

4.1

1.9

2.2

19.4

4.2

0.0

12.4

0.0

0.0

206

263

144

16

140

56

45

92

64

32

425

1

77

40.8

7.7

9.8

5.4

0.6

5.2

2.1

1.7

3.4

2.4

1.2

15.9

0.0

2.9

21 1.0 9 0.4 10 0.4 3 0.1 9 0.3 25 0.9

2,162 100.0 2,278 100.0 2,315 100.0 2,311 100.0 3,225 100.0 2,678 100.0

Preface xxxv

Preface xxxvi

Table 10 presents the number and percentage of on-campus students who indicated various educational goals. Across all six years, most students indicated a desire to obtain an associate’s degree and transfer to a four-year institution as their educational goal. This percentage ranged from 51.4% in fall 2006 to 40.8% in fall 2008. It is possible that the lower percentage in fall 2008 was due in part to problems with the newly implemented Banner computer system; consequently, time will tell if the numbers change substantially. The spike in students selecting ―educational development‖ as their educational goal in fall

2007—over 19%—was likely due to the large number of students in the ESL outreach pilot program. As of fall 2008, about one in six students (15.9%) indicated they were undecided on an educational goal.



Student Major

The following six tables present numbers (N) and percentages (%) of student majors, one table for each fall term between 2003 and 2008. Numbers and percentages are shown for majors when 10 or more students indicated that major on their application.

Fall 2003 Fall 2004

Major

Undecided

Liberal Arts (AA)

Business, General (AS)

Not Applicable

Dental Hygiene (AS/Pre-Dental Hy)

Criminal Justice Admin (AS)

Early Childhood Education (AS)

Business Administration (AA)

Computer Science (AS)

Life Science (AS)

(uncollected)

Art (AA)

Social Science (AA)

Physical Education (AA)

Accounting (AS)

Automotive Technology (AS)

Engineering (AS)

Physical Science (AS)

Office Technology (AS)

English (AA)

Graphic Design

(Other <10)

66

46

36

33

31

28

25

22

N

392

386

288

222

152

149

146

20

20

14

12

11

11

52

Total 2,162 100.0

In fall 2003 Undecided was the most frequently indicated choice for major, making up almost one in five students (18.1%).

%

18.1

17.9

13.3

10.3

7.0

6.9

6.8

3.1

2.1

1.7

1.5

1.4

1.3

1.2

1.0

0.9

0.9

0.6

0.6

0.5

0.5

2.4

Major

Undecided

Liberal Arts (AA)


Not Applicable





Life Science (AS)


Social Science (AA)


Art (AA)

Engineering (AS)


Accounting (AS)


(uncollected)

Child Development Permit

English (AA)

(Other <10)

N

3

342

280

212

172

166

127

88

42

38

37

31

27

22

19

18

17

17

13

13

56

%

23.7

15.0

12.3

9.3

7.6

7.3

5.6

3.9

1.8

1.7

1.6

1.4

1.2

1.0

0.8

0.8

0.7

0.7

0.6

0.6

2.5

Total 2,278 100.0

By fall 2004 Undecided had increased to almost

24% of students. Liberal Arts and Business were the next most popular.

Preface xxxvii

Preface

Fall 2005

Major

Undecided

Liberal Arts (AA)


Not Applicable





Life Science (AS)

Social Science (AA)

Accounting (AS)



Art (AA)


English (AA)

Engineering (AS)

Office Technology (AS)

(uncollected)


Mathematics (AA)

(Other <10)

Total 2,315 100.0

The dominant pattern of Undecided, Liberal Arts and Business continued through fall 2005 and

2006. Other frequently selected majors included

Dental Hygiene, Criminal Justice, and Early

Childhood Education.

98

44

40

36

35

33

23

23

N

535

361

292

212

170

158

132

16

15

11

16

10

10

45

%

23.1

15.6

12.6

9.2

7.3

6.8

5.7

4.2

1.9

1.7

1.6

1.5

1.4

1.0

1.0

0.7

0.6

0.5

0.7

0.4

0.4

1.9 xxxviii

Fall 2006

Major

Undecided

Liberal Arts (AA)

Not Applicable






Life Science (AS)

Accounting (AS)

Social Science (AA)


Art (AA)

Engineering (AS)

English (AA)


Early Childhood Education Cert



(Other <10)

137

40

38

36

32

29

23

19

N

530

348

246

225

171

168

146

19

14

12

11

67

Total 2,311 100.0

The pattern of major selection for fall 2006 was almost identical to fall 2005. There is no

―uncollected‖ category in this term because fewer than 10 students made that selection.

%

22.9

15.1

10.6

9.7

7.4

7.3

6.3

5.9

1.7

1.6

1.6

1.4

1.3

1.0

0.8

0.8

0.6

0.5

0.5

2.9



Fall 2007

Major

Undecided

Liberal Arts (AA)

Not Applicable






Social Science (AA)

Life Science (AS)

Accounting (AS)




Engineering (AS)

Art (AA)

English (AA)

Early Childhood Education Cert

Mathematics (AA)



Journalism (AA)

(uncollected)

(Other <10)

%

38.7

11.2

9.6

5.9

5.5

5.5

5.3

5.1

1.6

1.3

1.2

1.0

1.0

0.8

0.8

0.7

0.7

0.6

0.5

0.5

0.4

0.4

0.3

1.4

166

51

43

39

31

31

27

25

N

1,247

361

309

189

178

176

172

24

24

18

17

15

14

12

10

46

Total 3,225 100.0

Again, in fall 2007, the distribution of student majors followed a similar pattern as in earlier semesters. By fall 2008, ECE climbed to the number two spot, and Social Science increased from 1.6% in 2007 to 6.2% in 2008. Pre-Dental

Hygiene was renamed to Life Science.

Fall 2008

Major

(uncollected)

Liberal Arts

Early Childhood Education

Life Science

Social Science

Business Administration

Criminal Justice Admin

General Business

Dental Hygiene

Art

Accounting

Criminal Justice Admin-Correct

English

Computer Science

Physical Science

Achv Cert in Early Child Ed

AS Degree in Business Admin

Industrial Technology

Mathematics

Physical Education

Pre-Dental

Court Reporting

Auto Technology

Engineering

Certificate in Early Chld Edu

Petroleum Technology

Industrial Arts

Industrial Health & Safety

(Other <10)

0.6

0.5

0.5

0.4

0.4

3.3

0.7

0.7

0.7

0.7

0.7

0.7

0.6

0.6

%

33.9

9.1

7.5

6.4

6.2

5.6

5.2

3.9

2.8

1.9

1.5

1.4

1.2

1.1

0.8

15

14

14

12

10

88

20

20

20

20

20

20

16

15

105

76

51

40

38

33

30

21

N

909

244

201

171

166

149

140

Total 2,678 100.0

In fall 2008, ―uncollected‖ moved to the top spot, but this was most likely due to Banner coding.

Preface xxxix

Preface xl

Student City of Origin

The six tables in this section present an overview of the city of origin of Taft College’s on-campus students. Each table, one for each fall term, gives the name of the city, number (N), and percentage (%) of total on-campus students for that term for every city that had five or more enrolled students. Only cities from within the United States are included in each table; students who indicated a foreign residence are counted in the ―Other & < 5‖ category. The percentages are based on all on-campus students enrolled as of the first day of classes for each term.

Fall 2003 Fall 2004

City

Taft

Bakersfield

Arvin

Lamont

Maricopa

Buttonwillow

Fellows

Shafter

Delano

New Cuyama

Tupman

McKittrick

Wasco

(Other & < 5)

N

6

6

6

5

5

56

790

364

55

48

44

36

15

12

%

Total 1,448 100.0

In fall 2003, students from the Taft area made up the majority of on-campus students, as they always have.

54.6

25.1

3.8

3.3

3.0

2.5

1.0

0.8

0.4

0.4

0.4

0.3

0.3

3.9

City

Taft

Bakersfield

Buttonwillow

Arvin

Maricopa

Shafter

Fellows

Lamont

Wasco

New Cuyama

McKittrick

Tupman

(Other & < 5)

N

786

483

52

38

32

24

19

19

11

7

5

5

55

%

Total 1,536 100.0

By fall 2004, the number of students from

Bakersfield (and the percentage) increased substantially. In fall 2004, the number of students from Taft became a very thin majority.

51.2

31.4

3.4

2.5

2.1

1.6

1.2

1.2

0.7

0.5

0.3

0.3

3.6



Fall 2005

City

Taft

Bakersfield

Maricopa

Arvin

Buttonwillow

Lamont

Shafter

Fellows

McKittrick

New Cuyama

Tehachapi

Tupman

Wasco

(Other & < 5)

N

12

7

6

6

6

104

684

545

36

33

26

21

17

15

%

Total 1,518 100.0

In fall 2005, Taft students fell below a majority due to a decrease in number, while the number of students from Bakersfield continued to increase.

The other cities continued to jostle about across positions.

45.1

35.9

2.4

2.2

1.7

1.4

1.1

1.0

0.8

0.5

0.4

0.4

0.4

6.9

Fall 2006

City

Taft

Bakersfield

Maricopa

Lamont

Buttonwillow

Arvin

Wasco

Fellows

Shafter

New Cuyama

McKittrick

Las Vegas

Tupman

(Other & < 5)

N

16

8

7

6

5

124

607

545

35

27

21

19

17

16

%

Total 1,453 100.0

Again, by fall 2006, students from the Taft area continued to decrease as a percentage of the total while students from Bakersfield increased.

41.8

37.5

2.4

1.9

1.4

1.3

1.2

1.1

1.1

0.6

0.5

0.4

0.3

8.5

Preface xli

Preface

Fall 2007

City

Bakersfield

Taft

Arvin

Shafter

Wasco

Maricopa

Lamont

Buttonwillow

New Cuyama

Fellows

Las Vegas

Palmdale

Delano

Tupman

(Other & < 5)

N

14

12

11

8

7

5

84

914

658

214

130

108

37

34

21

%

Total 2,257 100.0

In fall 2007, the number of Bakersfield students abruptly overtook Taft students. However, this was due to the spike in the ESL outreach pilot program students.

0.6

0.5

0.5

0.4

0.3

0.2

3.7

40.5

29.2

9.5

5.8

4.8

1.6

1.5

0.9

 Taft College 2009 Accreditation Self Study Report  xlii

Fall 2008

City

Bakersfield

Taft

Maricopa

Shafter

Arvin

New Cuyama

Wasco

Lamont

Fellows

Buttonwillow

McKittrick

Palmdale

Tupman

Las Vegas

Tehachapi

Lancaster

Santa Maria

(Other & < 5)

N

15

14

11

11

7

6

6

5

5

77

627

587

54

47

41

22

21

17

%

Total 1,573 100.0

Even after the ESL outreach pilot program ended,

Bakersfield students remained as the largest group. This trend is projected to continue as

Bakersfield, especially the south west portion where most Taft College students reside, continues to grow.

1.0

0.9

0.7

0.7

0.4

0.4

0.4

0.3

0.3

4.9

39.9

37.3

3.4

3.0

2.6

1.4

1.3

1.1

Preface xliii

Previous Self Study Action Plans

Six general planning areas were identified in the previous Self Study Report.

Planning items affecting the college community were categorized under one of these areas.

1. Taft College will develop a new planning process and Educational

Master Plan.

Taft College retained the services of the Datatel Center for Institutional

Effectiveness to assist the college with the development and implementation of a revised strategic planning process. The new strategic planning process will result in a strategic plan and a useful, sustainable planning process. Both of these will meet the needs of the community and the accreditation standards.

2. Taft College will develop new procedures for program review for all instructional, administrative, and student services programs.

Taft College has modified its existing program planning and review processes to integrate them into its new strategic planning process and to link budgeting processes with planning processes. Although the college has yet to complete a cycle of program planning and review tied to the new planning process, the integration of program planning and review processes for instructional and student services areas with the strategic planning process has become a top priority for the Planning Council. For example, student learning outcomes were officially added to the program review template for instructional programs beginning in spring 2009.

3. Taft College will review and revise as necessary the West Kern

Community College District Board Policies and Procedures, the Faculty

Handbook, and the policy on Academic Freedom and Responsibility.

The West Kern Community College District Board Policies and Procedures, the Faculty Handbook, and the policy on Academic Freedom and

Responsibility have all been thoroughly discussed and revised.

4. Taft College will review its committee structure and functions and make changes if appropriate.

Numerous changes in committee structure and functions have taken place since the last accreditation site visit in 2003, and more changes are being undertaken at the time of this writing. For example, the structure and charge of the Planning Committee was changed so that each area of campus


xliv Preface functioning now has representation on the Planning Council. As of May 2009, the Academic Senate approved a new Student Learning Outcomes Advisory and Steering Committee.

5. Taft College will review its administrative structure and make changes if appropriate.

The administrative structure of Taft College was reviewed, and it was concluded that the addition of dean positions was necessary for student services and instructional services. These positions were subsequently added. Various other organizational changes were made as well. For example, the Migrant Office, which serves a very large number of students, was renamed and moved from under student services to instructional services. Other changes have been discussed and are under consideration.

6. Taft College will develop and implement evaluation procedures for all faculty, administrators, classified staff, and Board of Trustee members.

Taft College has revised its evaluation procedures for all faculty, administrators, and classified staff. In addition, evaluation procedures were developed and implemented for Board of Trustees members. The revised and new procedures are housed by the Human Resources Department.


Preface xlv

Student Achievement Data

Student achievement data are provided to the campus community in a variety of forms. Course success rates are provided annually to the campus community via the Institutional Assessment, Research, and Planning (IAR&P)

Community Board; are provided directly to division chairs, instructors, program directors and counselors on demand; and are disseminated for use in the program reviews conducted by the instructional divisions and other functional units. The reports showing course success rates include data on enrollment trends that are used for program planning. Additionally, data on degrees and certificates awarded are provided to instructional divisions and student services for their program reviews and are also made available to the campus community, as are all reports disseminated by the IAR&P Office.

Student retention rate and persistence rate data are used for evaluation of various grant-funded activities, and are also made available to the campus community for strategic planning and program review. These data are also being utilized as part of Taft College’s strategic planning key success indicators. Each year, data from the Accountability Reporting for Community

Colleges (ARCC) Report are reviewed by faculty, administrators, and board members. Actions that are deemed necessary to address the ARCC data are discussed and incorporated into departmental planning.

At the time of this writing, Taft College is in the process of revising its strategic planning and program review processes. The intent of these revisions is to make the strategic planning process more data-driven, to focus on student learning outcomes, and to systematically tie the budgeting process into the strategic planning process. The revised strategic planning process will make more use of external and internal environmental scan data, program review data that include full assessment reports on the implementation of student learning outcomes, and other typical student achievement indicators such as course completion and success rates, transfer rates, degrees and certificates awarded, student program completion rates, job placement data when available, term-to-term persistence rates, within-term retention rates, goal completion and graduation rates, and basic skills success and improvement rates for math and English. Taft College is currently discussing ways to track student success after transfer and has recently become a member of the California

Partnership for Achieving Student Success (CalPASS) consortium.

Student Learning Outcomes

The discussion, writing, implementation, and assessment of student learning outcomes have been areas of focus for the faculty and college since 2002. In fall 2008, Taft College’s first Student Learning Outcomes Coordinator


xlvi Preface assumed his duties. In the 2008-2009 academic year, several exciting new developments, which emphasize the shift in culture, have occurred. Among these are Taft College’s SLO Assessment Teams, the new SLO website, numerous inservice workshops, a senate-approved modification to the

Program Review template that includes SLOs, and the ongoing discussion in

Senate to create a new Student Learning Outcomes Advisory and Steering

Committee.

Off-Campus Sites and Distance Learning

Taft College’s distance learning program began in spring 1999. After considerable discussions through the college planning committee, the

Distance Learning Institute (DLI) was formed. The mission of the DLI was to provide support for faculty who teach through distance learning and support services for students who choose distance learning as their mode of delivery.

The DLI worked closely with all college departments to ensure quality instruction and student services.

Taft College offers two types of distance learning courses: offline and online.

Each is designed to facilitate the learning experience with the special advantages that distance learning offers.

Offline is a mode of delivery that does not require internet access. Students follow the directions given in the course syllabus, complete and submit assignment and take exams by the deadlines given in the class calendar, and contact the instructor if they have any questions, comments, or concerns. Feedback from the instructor is provided by email, postal mail, phone, or by appointment during office hours. Assignments can be submitted through email, postal mail, or in person. Tests can be taken in the college library or through a properly approved proctor.

Taft College primarily utilizes ―easy to use distance education software‖

(Etudes), a course management system, for its distance learning online courses. It is easy to use and provides a trouble-free teaching and learning environment. Students follow the directions given in the Etudes program, complete and submit assignments and take exams by the deadlines given, and contact their instructors if they have any questions, comments, or concerns. The online format has an internal message center where students and instructors can stay in contact along with a discussion area where class discussion and interaction takes place.

Taft College has seen a steady increase in enrollments in its distance learning program over the past 6 years. Table 6 in the preface shows the fall student distance learning headcount went from 1,093 in fall 2003 to 1,904 in


Preface xlvii fall 2008, a 74.2% increase in students taking distance learning courses during this time. In addition, the number of courses went from 94 offerings to 129. When these numbers are further broken down, another change appears. More students are taking both on-campus and distance learning courses. In this case, those taking both modes went from 379 to 799, an increase of 110%.

The college web site explains the distance learning program for prospective students. Information regarding the online degrees and requirements is available through the distance learning link on the Taft College homepage, and an online help desk provides assistance as needed.

In February 2006, the DLI went through another change. It was felt the separate institute was no longer needed as the entire campus embraced and supported distance learning. The different departments within the DLI were integrated back into the respective departments: the student services component went back to Student Services; the web component went to the

Information Services Department; and the instructional component stayed with Instruction.

Audits and Federal Grants

External Independent Audit – The West Kern Community College District independent audit is conducted annually by external auditors hired by Taft

College after a Request for Proposal (RFP) process. The audit is prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) as set forth by Governmental and Accounting Standards Board (GASB) and Financial

Accounting Standards Board (FASB). Scope and standards of the audit and response by the College are explained in Self Study Section III.D.2.a. The audit report is available to the public upon request.

Federal Grant Monies – West Kern Community College District has experience in managing federal grant monies for educational purposes. The table below lists grants and other federally-funded revenue received during the past six years.

Taft College is familiar with regulations prescribed by the Office of

Management and Budget (OMB) for spending public funds. Federal grants are covered in the annual audit performed by external auditors. In the past six years, the district has never been subjected to any federal agency audits dealing with any federal monies received or the operations supported by the funds.


xlviii Preface

Table 11. Schedule of Federal Funds Received by West Kern Community College District - 2003-2008

Year Project

Funding

Agency

Amount

Received

2002-2003

2003-2004

NO FEDERAL

FUNDING RECEIVED

HSIAC Grant -

(Hispanic-Serving

Institutions Assisting

Communities)

NOT APPLICABLE

U.S. Housing and

Urban Development

$262,942.00

2004-2005 HSIAC Grant

U.S. Housing and

Urban Development

$65,105.00

HSIAC Grant

U.S. Housing and

Urban Development

$110,975.00

2005-2006

2006-2007

2007-2008

Title V Grant - HSI

(Hispanic-Serving

Institutions) -

Cooperative

Title V Grant - HSI -

Solo


Cooperative


Solo


Math Transfer


Cooperative


Solo


Math Transfer

U.S. Department of

Education

U.S. Department of

Education

U.S. Department of

Education

U.S. Department of

Education

U.S. Department of

Education

U.S. Department of

Education

U.S. Department of

Education

U.S. Department of

Education

$86,595.00

$193,495.00

$222,580.00

$507,794.00

$202,861.00

$203,503.00

$563,412.00

$281,334.00

$2,700,596.00 TOTAL


Preface xlix

Abstract of the Report

Taft College has experienced dramatic changes since its last accreditation site visit in 2003. It has had two presidents, three new vice presidents, and one new dean. The numbers of classified staff and faculty are at all time highs. Many long time employees retired. The student headcount has increased to its highest level ever, and the demographic profile of those students has changed considerably. On top of all this, the campus is in the process of undergoing a complete metamorphosis: every building on campus has been or will be modernized, and many new buildings are planned.

Additionally, Taft College is completely updating its management information system software. Despite all of these dramatic changes, the faculty and staff of Taft College never lost focus of their raison d'etre: To engage students in learning. So, in the midst of the sometimes disruptive and confusing sights and sounds of construction, the performance of teachers and students—like the facilities themselves—continues to improve.

Standard I: Institutional Mission and Effectiveness

Taft College demonstrates a very strong commitment to its mission that emphasizes the achievement of student learning and meets the needs of the community served by the college. The mission statement is widely communicated. The planning process by which this mission statement is developed uses both quantitative and qualitative data. The planning process is cyclical in that goals and objectives are set; indicators of these goals are identified; activities are developed and implemented; and the effectiveness of those activities in achieving the identified goals is evaluated. Taft College continuously improves its planning process. The various components of planning, including budgeting/allocation of resources, program review, and student learning outcomes, are not yet well integrated. Taft College has retained the services of the Datatel Center for Institutional Effectiveness to assist the college in implementing a well integrated strategic planning process that is sustainable and reflects continuous quality improvement mechanisms at all levels.

Standard II: Student Learning Programs and Services

Taft College consistently offers the highest quality instructional programs, student support services, and library and learning support services. This statement is well supported by documented results from the Accountability

Reporting for Community Colleges reports and student responses to the

Community College Survey of Student Engagement. The physical environment and the social and academic environments are well suited to support student learning and achievement. Taft College is undergoing a


l Preface renaissance as it remodels its facilities to directly support student learning and social needs. The breathtaking new facilities include a library, state-ofthe-art science labs, and a comprehensive, integrated student services center. New liberal arts facilities, a student union, and other campus renovations are on the way. Institutional level student learning outcomes, course level student learning outcomes, and general education principles enhance appreciation and understanding of diversity, encourage personal and civic responsibility, and advance intellectual, personal, and scholarly achievement in all students. The documentation of achievement of student learning outcomes is a relatively recent endeavor at Taft College and is slowly but surely being incorporated into all facets of the student learning experience. To facilitate this incorporation, the college has created and filled a 50% student learning outcomes coordinator position and has created a committee dedicated to weaving student learning outcomes into the fabric of its day to day operations. Taft College has made tremendous strides in this area but must continue to make progress to meet or surpass accrediting commission standards.

Standard III: Resources

Taft College, being a small rural community college with a correspondingly small budget, is committed to making the most effective use of its resources. The college demonstrates its commitment to this standard by elevating it to the level of an institutional goal in the college's mission statement: "Taft College will maximize resources to sustain future growth and development while linking planning to budget." Consequently, all decisions regarding human resources, physical resources, technology resources, and financial resources are filtered through this institutional goal to ensure that all resources are best utilized to achieve the broader goals of achieving student learning and improving institutional effectiveness. To ensure that all aspects of human resources are adequately covered, the number of employees in the Human Resources Department has increased from 2 in 2003 to 6 in 2009. The professionalism and effectiveness of the

Human Resources Department is reflected by its receiving of the single highest effectiveness rating on a recent survey of Taft College employees.

Physical resources have improved dramatically since the last accreditation site visit. The West Kern Community College District voters approved a measure in 2004 that made the college eligible for about $100 million in funding for much needed facilities improvement. During this same time period, the financial reserves of the district actually increased from 5% to

12%. The district's strong financial standing attests to its proper management of financial resources. Taft College recognizes that technology resources are the mortar that binds the foundation of the institution. Given this, the college has planned accordingly and invested millions of dollars to


Preface li upgrade its technological infrastructure, increasing the effectiveness of the institution’s support of student learning.

Standard IV: Leadership and Governance

Taft College, cognizant of the validity of the age old maxim "an organization is only as effective as its leadership," strives to recruit the best possible candidates to fill its leadership roles. Concomitantly, the college continuously monitors and adjusts its governance structures and processes to realize the best performance from its elected leaders. To wit, the processes by which the senior level administrators are recruited are replete with checks and balances drawing input from all segments of the campus community. Open forums invite faculty and staff to submit detailed, candid evaluations of the candidates. These evaluations are taken into consideration by the Board of

Trustees prior to selecting a final candidate for consideration. As an example of how governance processes are adjusted, the college restructured the

Planning Committee from a person-based membership to a position-based membership. The strategic planning process is being changed to make it cyclical, data driven, and integrated with program review and budgeting. As agents of the college, employees are expected to act collegially, respectfully, and ethically with their peers, students, and the public. Surveys indicate these high standards have been met.

The roles, duties, and responsibilities of the West Kern Community College

District Board of Trustees and Chief Executive Officer are clearly defined in the Board Policies and Procedures. Accountability is both stressed and demanded yet all members are given wide latitude to accomplish their tasks.

The working relationship between the board and the CEO is healthy, collaborative, and collegial. Question 8 on the faculty and staff survey asked for agreement or disagreement with the statement, "Established governance structures, processes, and practices allow the governing board, administration, faculty, staff, and students to work together for the good of the institution." None of the 67 respondents indicated ―total disagreement‖ and only 9.5% indicated ―some disagreement.‖


lii Preface

Organization of the Self Study

Process

Planning for the self study began in fall 2007 with the establishment of a steering committee. The steering committee divided the drafting process among various subcommittees, each subcommittee addressing a portion of an accreditation standard. Announcements were made to recruit volunteers to assist in the self study, and employees were encouraged to participate on one or more subcommittees, including those outside employees’ area of specialty. Many volunteers indicated they would serve where needed. Each subcommittee as well as the steering committee was designed to include at least one faculty member, a classified staff member, and a student representative.

In early fall 2007, each subcommittee elected a chair who also served as a member of the steering committee. Subcommittees reviewed copies of the standards, the previous accreditation report, the Commission evaluation report, the midterm accreditation report, examples of self study reports from other colleges, and a timetable for completing the self study. After reviewing these materials, the subcommittees began writing their sections of the report and met as needed. An electronic bulletin board accessible to faculty and staff was created. Subcommittee members could easily share document drafts, notices of meetings, and any other relevant information.

In January of 2008, the subcommittee members were asked to submit questions for a survey of faculty, staff, or students. The questions were reviewed and revised by the steering committee. The student survey and the faculty/staff survey were conducted in March of 2008. The results from the surveys were made available to the subcommittees and the campus community in April of 2008. In addition, results from the spring 2007 administration of the Community College Survey of Student Engagement

(CCSSE) were also made available to the subcommittees for use in their standards as needed. Copies of the student and faculty/staff survey reports are included as supporting documentation.

The steering committee met monthly to review progress of the self study.

The subcommittees met as often as required. A draft of the self study was completed in March 2009 and made available to the college community for review and comments.

Comments and suggestions from the college community were synthesized into the report in April and May, 2009. Final editing and checking of references took place in May and June, 2009. The final report was


Preface liii completed, reviewed, and signed off by the Board of Trustees and other representatives in July and August, 2009, and copies were submitted to the

Accrediting Commission and visiting team members in July 2009.

Accreditation Self Study Steering Committee

Committee

Steering Committee Chairs

Standard I: Institutional Mission and

Effectiveness

Standard II A (1 to 2): Student Learning

Programs and Services-Instructional

Programs

Henry Yong (Co-chair)

Members

Amber Anderson (Secretary)

Dr. Eric Bérubé (Co-chair)

Sam Aunai (Chair)

Dr. Eric Bérubé

Colleen Carone

Tony Robertson

Dr. David Layne

Justin Hedrick (Student)

Leslie Bauer

Geoffrey Dyer (Chair)

Sonja Swenson

Standard II A (3 to 8): Student Learning

Programs and Services-Instructional

Programs

Standard II B: Student Learning

Programs and Services-Student

Support Services

Standard II C: Student Learning

Programs and Services-Library and

Learning Support Services

Standard III A: Resources-Human

Resources

Standard III B: Resources-Physical

Resources

Standard III C: Resources-Technology

Resources

Standard III D: Resources-Financial

Resources

Standard IV A: Leadership and

Governance-Decision-Making Roles and Processes

Standard IV B: Leadership and

Governance-Board and Administrative

Organization

Val Garcia (Chair)

Amber Anderson

Sam Aunai

Gayle Gentile-Royal

Henry Yong

Susan Vaughan (Chair)

Brock McMurray

Darcy Brown

Dave Berry (Chair)

Dr. Mimi Collins

Jack Gallon

Bill Devine (Chair)

Jana Peters

Edan Ray

Julian Martinez (Co-chair)

Dr. Chris Chung-Wee (Cochair)

Mike Capella

Adrian Agundez (Chair)

Richard Hudson

Jose Rico

Becky Roth (Co-chair)

Michelle Beasley

William Duncan

John Griffith (Co-chair)

Don Bandy (Chair)

Henry Yong

Patti Brown

Shelley Klein (Chair)

Colleen Carone

Kathy Evarts

Carolyn Hosking

Gary Graupman

Patti Bench

Linda West

Chris Douglas (Student)

Lindsey Whitaker

Maureen Caragao (Student)

Asthian Gonzales (Student)

Kelly Kulzer

Kanoe Bandy

Danielle Hutchison (Student)

Rick Miranda

Jaime Martinez (Student)

William Duncan

Brent Harmon (Student)

Ashtian Gonzales (Student)

Brian Jean

Chris Douglas (Student)

Dr. David Layne

Jim Nicholas

Jason Scott (Student)

Diane Jones

John Miller

Alicia Porter (Student)

William Duncan

Jeff Ross

Garret Mynk (Student)


liv Preface

Accreditation Self Study Editing/Revising Committee

Member

Amber Anderson

Dave Berry

Dr. Eric Bérubé

Geoffrey Dyer

Dr. David Layne

Henry Yong

Brandy Cramer

Title

Research Analyst

Associate Professor/Instructional Librarian

Professor/Coordinator of Institutional Assessment, Research and Planning

Associate Professor, English/SLO Coordinator

Associate Professor, Business

Vice President, Instruction

Student/Student Assistant/Research Clerk


Preface lv

Organization of the Institution

Taft College is a one-college district with one person serving as the superintendent/president of the district. There are three vice presidents: vice president of instruction, vice president of administrative services, and vice president of student services. The vice presidents of administrative services and student services each have one dean under them. There are currently five instructional divisions: Applied Technologies, Liberal Arts, Math and Sciences, Social Sciences, and Learning Support. The new Learning

Support Division is comprised of many non-instructional faculty. A complete organizational chart for Taft College is given in Appendix C: Organizational

Structure Charts.

A table listing committees that meet regularly is provided here.

Comprehensive descriptions of all Taft College committees and their functions can be found in the Faculty Handbook.

Regularly Meeting Committees at Taft College

Committee

Academic Policies Committee

Academic Senate

Admissions and Attendance Committee

Banner Implementation Oversight Committee

California School Employees Association

Counseling Forms Committee

Counseling Services

Curriculum and General Education Committee

EOPS/CARE

Equal Employment Opportunity Committee

Facilities Committee

Faculty Association

Financial Aid Committee

Information Technology Committee

Planning Council

Chair

Brock McMurray

Bill Devine

Brock McMurray

Adrian Agundez

Barbara Wingler

Darcy Brown

Darcy Brown

Henry Yong/Vicki Herder

Lourdes Gonzalez

Jana Peters

William Duncan

Diane Jones

Brock McMurray

Adrian Agundez

Bill Devine/William Duncan

Program Review Committee

Public Information Committee

Darcy Brown

Brock McMurray

Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math Oversight Committee Val Garcia

Staff Development Committee Jana Peters/Diane Jones

Student Learning Outcomes Advisory and Steering Committee

Taft College Classified Collective Bargaining Committee

Taft College Faculty Collective Bargaining Committee

Taft College Foundation

Taft Disabilities Partnership Team

WKCCD Board of Trustees

Geoffrey Dyer

Barbara Wingler

Diane Jones/Shelley Klein

Shelley Klein

Jeff Ross

Carolyn Hosking


lvi Preface

Certification of Continued Compliance with Eligibility Requirements

1. Authority

Taft College has been continuously accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. A statement regarding accreditation is included on page 4 of the Taft College Catalog and Student Handbook 2008–2010.

2. Mission

Taft College’s current mission statement was finalized during the spring

2009 semester by a campus-wide collaborative effort. The mission statement was adopted by the Board of Trustees in summer 2009. The previous Taft College Mission Statement, along with a vision statement, values, and goals, is publicized through a variety of means and appears on the inside of the front and back covers and also on page 11 of the Taft

College Catalog and Student Handbook 2008–2010.

3. Governing Board

The West Kern Community College District has a five-member Board of

Trustees which oversees the quality and integrity of Taft College. Board members are elected at large and serve staggered terms. A student representative is also elected by the Associated Student Body (West Kern

Community College District Board Policies and Procedures, Article IV, Section

10). The board meets once each month. Agendas for board meetings are published and distributed well in advance of meetings. The public is invited to participate in all board meetings (Board Policy Article VI, Sections 5 and

12), and time is allotted each month for public participation (Preamble to

Bylaws, Item 15).

4. Chief Executive Officer

The superintendent/president of Taft College is appointed by the Board of

Trustees. The position is currently held by William Duncan IV.

5. Administrative Capacity

Taft College has a sufficient number of staff with appropriate experience and qualifications to provide administrative services. Since the last accreditation site visit, Taft College has added an associate dean of instruction position to


Preface lvii assist the vice president of instruction. Organization charts are included as part of this report.

6. Operational Status

Students at Taft College are enrolled in a variety of courses and programs leading to a two-year degree, transfer to a four-year institution, basic skills proficiency, or vocational certificates.

7. Degrees

The majority of Taft College’s offerings are in programs leading to degrees as described in the catalog/student handbook. Transferable courses are clearly marked in the catalog. Descriptions of degree requirements begin on page 33 of the Taft College Catalog and Student Handbook 2008–2010, and a listing of suggested curricula requirements for various majors begins on page 43 of the catalog/student handbook.

A listing of student matriculation goals, as shown in the demographics section of this self study report, indicate that most students, excluding

Westside Energy Services Training and Education Center students, have as their goal earning an associate’s degree and transferring to a four-year institution.

8. Educational Programs

Taft College's principal degree programs are consistent with its mission, are based on recognized higher education fields of study, are of sufficient content and length, and are conducted at levels of quality and rigor appropriate to the degrees offered. The first sentence of Taft College’s

Mission and Vision Statement reads, "Taft College is committed to student learning in transfer and career and technical education programs supported by pre-collegiate basic skills and a wide range of student services."

Taft College offers a well-balanced mix of basic skills English and math courses to prepare students for college-level coursework, college-level courses leading to an associate’s degree or transfer, and vocational courses leading to certification in several high-demand occupations. Pages 43 to 58 of the catalog/student handbook list suggested courses for degree and certificate programs.


lviii Preface

9. Academic Credit

Taft College strictly adheres to Title 5 of the California Administrative Code in the awarding of academic credit.

10. Student Learning Achievement

Taft College is in the process of defining and publishing expected student learning and achievement outcomes for programs. These outcomes are being included in syllabi for various courses, brochures distributed by the

Counseling Center, and on the college’s website. The results from assessments of these outcomes are intended to be used for continuous improvement in program reviews undertaken by each functional unit on campus.

11. General Education

All degree and transfer programs at Taft College include the values of general education. These values are to develop in the student a breadth of knowledge that will increase their awareness of themselves and the world, as well as enhance their effectiveness as members of their respective communities. The goal of general education is to deepen the students’ appreciation of their artistic and cultural legacy as well as demonstrably strengthen their ability to reason, communicate, and critically evaluate information. Toward this end, Taft College incorporates into all of its degree programs a substantial component of general education. General education courses approved for transfer are listed in the Taft College Catalog and

Student Handbook 2008–2010 on pages 43 to 46.

12. Academic Freedom

Taft College has a statement of academic freedom defined in Board Policy

4030 Academic Freedom, which reads as follows:

BP 4030 Academic Freedom

Institutions of higher education are conducted for the common good and not to further the interest of either the individual instructor or the institution as a whole. The common good depends upon the free search for truth and its free exposition. In order to assure the academic integrity of the teaching-learning process, faculty distinguish between personal conviction and professionally accepted views in a discipline. They present data and information fairly and objectively.

1. The instructor is entitled to full freedom in research and in the publication of the results, subject to the adequate performance of his/her other academic duties; but research for pecuniary return should be based upon an understanding with the authorities of the institution.


Preface lix

2. The instructor is entitled to freedom in the classroom in discussing his/her subject, but he/she should be careful not to introduce into his/her teaching controversial matter which has no relation to his/her subject. Limitations of academic freedom because of religious or other aims of the institution should be clearly stated in writing at the time of the appointment.

3. The college or university instructor is a citizen, a member of a learned profession, and an officer of an educational institution. When he/she speaks or writes as a citizen, he/she should be free from institutional censorship or discipline, but his/her special position in the community imposes special obligations. As a person of learning and an educational officer, he/she should remember that the public may judge his/her profession and his/her institution as his/her utterances. Hence he/she should at all times be accurate, should exercise appropriate restraint, should respect other’s opinions, and should make every effort to indicate that he/she is not an institutional spokesperson.

13. Faculty

Taft College has 56 full-time faculty and 49 adjunct faculty as of fall 2008.

As of spring 2009, the student to faculty ratio for on-campus courses at Taft

College is 22 to 1, ensuring personalized attention to every student. All faculty are listed on pages 115 to 120 of the Taft College Catalog and

Student Handbook 2008–2010. Full-time faculty are listed along with their degrees and beginning date at Taft College. Faculty responsibilities are listed in the Faculty Handbook and in Chapter 300 of the West Kern Community

College District Board Policies and Procedures.

14. Student Services

Taft College has an extensive array of student services designed to meet the varied needs of its diverse student population. A comprehensive listing of student services is found in the Taft College Catalog and Student Handbook

2008–2010 on pages 25 to 31. Demographic descriptions of the student population can be found elsewhere in this Self Study Report.

15. Admissions

Admission policies at Taft College are consistent with its mission and appropriate for its programs. The admission policies and procedures are fully explained on pages 13 to 18 in the Taft College Catalog and Student

Handbook 2008–2010. Students can enroll either in person or online, and they can also find admission policies online.

16. Information and Learning Resources

The library provides access to twenty-four desktops and twenty laptops, all of which have e-mail and internet access. The library’s collection of proprietary databases is accessible both on-campus and through remote


lx Preface authentication. The library has a print collection of 20,000 volumes as well as 9,000 e-books. Journal, magazine, and newspaper subscriptions total 90.

The computers have a variety of instructional software loaded for student use. The library also provides equipment for displaying various audio and video media.

17. Financial Resources

Most of the financial resources of the college come from local property taxes and the State of California. Projected allocations are used to develop budgets on an annual basis. Those allocations are then tracked and monitored at all times and adjustments are made as needed. Additional funding is also obtained from federal, state, local, and private sources. The college maintains adequate reserve levels for contingencies and for future expansion. The college maintains conservative financial management policies and practices that ensure fiscal stability.

18. Financial Accountability

The college is audited on an annual basis by an independent audit firm. The firm is selected by evaluating the scope of their experience, the size of the firm, and their ability to provide backup personnel, and a wide range of expertise. The audit firms employ as a guide Audits of Colleges and

Universities published by the American Institute of Certified Public

Accountants as well as the California Community College’s Contracted

District Audit Manual. The Board of Trustees reviews the audit findings, any exceptions, letter to management, and any recommendations made by the contracted audit firm.

19. Institutional Planning and Evaluation

Since the last accreditation site visit in 2003, Taft College has restructured its Planning Council to ensure representation in the planning process by all segments of the campus community. The revised Planning Council now meets twice each month to coordinate and oversee planning activities. Taft

College is committed to having a robust strategic planning process that is sustainable, incorporates a continuous improvement cycle, and meets the needs of the constituents served by the college. Consequently, the college is currently revising its strategic planning and program review processes to better integrate the planning cycle with program review, student learning outcomes, and the budgeting process. Additionally, the Taft College

Institutional Assessment, Research, and Planning Office has acquired three new classified positions to assist with the increased workload.


Preface lxi

20. Public Information

Taft College has integrated its catalog and student handbook. Students have a single, comprehensive source of accurate information on admission requirements and procedures (pages 13 to 18), rules and regulations affecting students (pages 19 to 24, 125 to 136), programs and courses, degrees offered and degree requirements, costs and refund policies, grievance procedures, academic credentials of faculty and administrators, and other items regarding attending and withdrawing from the college. Much of this information is also presented in the schedule of classes and on the campus website.

20. Relations with the Accrediting Commission

The West Kern Community College District Board of Trustees provides assurance that Taft College adheres to the eligibility requirements and accreditation standards and policies of the Accrediting Commission, describes itself in identical terms to all its accrediting agencies, communicates any changes in its accredited status, and agrees to disclose information required by the Commission to carry out its accrediting responsibilities.

Taft College is accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Community and

Junior Colleges of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, as noted on page 4 of the catalog/student handbook, and by the American Dental

Association, as noted on page 49 of the catalog/student handbook.


lxii Preface

Responses to Recommendations from the Most Recent Comprehensive Evaluation

Recommendation 1

The Team recommends the College regularly assess the climate of both the campus and community in order to develop appropriate student support systems and community outreach activities. These actions should ensure that all students and staff are accepted, respected and supported in pursuing their educational endeavors.

Taft College began using the Noel-Levitz Student Satisfaction Inventory

(SSI) shortly after the accreditation site visit in 2003. The SSI was conducted twice and provided useful information regarding student expectations and satisfaction with their educational experiences at Taft

College. The SSI was replaced by the Community College Survey of Student

Engagement (CCSSE), a nationally renowned survey instrument used to assess, among other things, the campus climate as perceived by students, faculty, and staff. The CCSSE questionnaire contains items that measure students' and staff's perceptions of support (e.g. item 11). The CCSSE is conducted every two to three years and was most recently conducted in spring 2009. The results of the CCSSE are widely distributed, discussed, and used by faculty, staff, and administrators for program review and for strategic planning. The results from the CCSSE show that Taft College students have very positive perceptions of other students, faculty, staff, and administrators. The Career and Technical Education (CTE) Department and the Business Department both use community advisory boards to provide input and recommend changes in curriculum and course offerings. Several board members serve on the Chamber of Commerce and identified the need for a customer service class at Taft College, which has been added to the curriculum.

In 2007-2008, neighboring Taft Union High School approached Taft College with a proposal to provide Taft College curriculum and credit to Taft Union

High School students. After ongoing discussions, the pilot program will begin in fall 2009.

Since the last accreditation site visit, Taft College has hired a full-time

Career and Technical Education (CTE) Coordinator. The CTE Coordinator has been proactive in working with community advisory groups and community businesses to ensure that Taft College offers programs that meet the needs of area industries. In addition to supplying the local economy with skilled workers in the fields of petroleum technology and corrections, Taft College is developing new career and technical education programs and strengthening


Preface lxiii career pathways in existing programs to ensure that all students are supported while pursuing their educational goals.

Taft College received a $40,000 Rural Opportunities Grant to conduct a comprehensive labor market analysis and environmental scan, the results of which were incorporated into the newly developed strategic planning process. Similar labor market analyses and environmental scans, along with community surveys, are planned for the future to systematically integrate the results from these efforts into Taft College's strategic planning efforts.

To meet the needs of a growing population of Spanish speaking students,

Taft College developed the Center for Academic Support and Assistance

(CASA). CASA was originally conceived as a one stop service center to assist

Spanish speaking students’ transition to a higher education environment.

Because of the program's success, CASA's role was expanded such that it now assists all students who desire additional support such as tutoring and supplemental instruction. The supplemental instruction program in particular enjoys tremendous popularity among Taft College students, and results suggest that it has been responsible for large increases in the rates of student success in English, math, and science programs.


Relative to Taft College courses taught through its partnership with WESTEC, the team recommends the Board formalize in policy the institutional practices that (1) validate faculty minimum qualifications and (2) approve courses for offering through WESTEC. Taft College has yet to respond on a policy level to a similar recommendation from the 1997 accreditation.

Taft College continuously reviews and revises its board policies. Board Policy

4500, which formalized Taft College’s practices in regards to validating faculty minimum qualifications and approving course offerings through

WESTEC, was approved by the board on September 10, 2003. The policy is available to the college community and general public via the world wide web on Taft College’s website.

Announcements regarding the revised board policies were posted on the Taft

College FirstClass electronic bulletin board. Board Policy 4500 Partnership with WESTEC reads as follows:

BP 4500 Partnership with WESTEC

All WESTEC instructors teaching courses for Taft College credit go through the certification of qualifications process established for all Taft College instructors.


lxiv Preface

All courses taught at WESTEC for Taft College credit will be approved by the Board of Trustees after review by the Taft College Curriculum and General Education Committee following the process established for the approval of all Taft College courses.


The team recommends the College develop and implement improvements in the library print collection and ensure adequate access to professionally trained library staff. The College should develop immediate as well as longterm funding strategies to support regular updating of the collection. Taft

College has not adequately responded to a similar recommendation from the

1997 accreditation.

Efforts to improve the library’s collection are ongoing. In the last two years the reference collection has been thoroughly examined and updated, and the circulating collection is presently undergoing the same process. The library now provides access to roughly 9,000 ebooks, which are equally accessible to on-campus and distance-learning students. From 2006-2009, the amount budgeted for library collections (books and periodical subscriptions) increased from $24,680 to $36,200.

Taft College currently employs two full-time librarians, one full-time library assistant, two full-time library technicians, and two part-time library technicians. Three of these staff (a librarian, a part-time technician and a full-time technician) are new hires since the last Midterm Report in 2006.

Two of the full-time library technicians are currently enrolled in the library sciences program at Cuesta College, and one is studying towards a master’s degree in the subject.

The library’s total budget (excluding salaries) was $140,024 in 2006-2007,

$119,993 in 2007-2008, and $152,961 in 2008-2009. Funding levels are expected to remain relatively constant in the foreseeable future.


The team recommends the College identify and develop measures for student learning outcomes and recommends the College track student progress and integrate these measures into its processes for program review, program improvement and planning priorities.

Since the activity referred to in Taft College’s 2003 Accreditation Mid-term

Report, an explosion of activity has occurred. Taft College created a Student

Learning Outcomes (SLO) Coordinator position that assumed responsibilities in fall 2008. SLO Assessment Teams, authorized by the Academic Senate, the Faculty Association, and Administration, have been implemented in


Preface lxv summer 2008, fall 2008, and spring 2009 and will continue throughout spring 2010. Faculty, working in teams, experience training while conducting and documenting an assessment of a student learning outcome. Faculty from all divisions have participated in the trainings; as a result a shared vocabulary and conception of SLO assessment has been fostered.

Inservice trainings, facilitated by the new SLO Coordinator as well as renowned experts in assessment such as Darlene Pacheco, Mary Allen, and

Janet Fulks have been offered since 2002 and attended by many faculty.

Topics of these presentations have included authentic assessment and SLOs, program review, and the 2002 accreditation standards. In some instances, these are working sessions in which faculty dialogue about best practices and ideal outcomes.

Many of Taft College’s SLO training materials, as well as statements of the outcomes themselves and reports on the assessment of the outcomes, are stored and made publicly available on Taft College’s new SLO webpage. The webpage has also helped to better define a method for improving the college through the assessment of SLOs, as appropriate to the local campus culture.

Taft College has acted collectively, through the local academic senate, division meetings, and board action to articulate, revise, and approve institutional SLOs that reflect five core competencies graduates should possess. These competencies are listed here:

Communication

Graduates should be able to deliver focused and coherent presentations; demonstrate active, discerning listening and speaking skills in lectures and discussions; demonstrate active reading skills and thorough comprehension; and write clearly and effectively.

Computation

Graduates should be able to solve problems involving data gathering and analysis, apply mathematical concepts, and use technology in these processes.

Critical and Creative Thinking

Graduates should be able to analyze, interpret, explain and evaluate texts, ideas, works of art, and scientific and mathematical problems.

Community/Global Consciousness and Responsibility


lxvi Preface

Graduates should be able to demonstrate social and cultural awareness, ethical behavior, effective and sensitive communication, and a commitment to learning.

Discipline Content

Graduates should be able to clearly demonstrate mastery and application of course content.

Two new areas of focus for Taft College include the definition of program

SLOs and the means with which to use assessment results for program improvement. In spring 2009, the local academic senate approved a revision to Taft College’s existing program review template. The revised template provokes instructors to align course level SLOs with program level SLOs according to a model provided during a Taft College in service session by

Mary Allen. Additionally, the template requests that divisions completing their program reviews interpret program SLO assessment data to inform requests for resources, budget, or anything to improve the outcome in the future.

In May 2009, the local academic senate approved the adoption of the new

Student Learning Outcomes Advisory and Steering Committee. The charter of the committee includes drafting new policies on SLOs to be forwarded for discussion and approval to the senate and the board; approval of SLOs to be added to Course Outlines of Record; targeting of key program assessments in advance of divisions’ program review cycles, to feed SLO assessment data to the Institutional Assessment, Research, and Planning Office for program review; and the identification of areas for further improvement as the college makes progress in this area and its needs change.


The team recommends the College complete a comprehensive Educational

Master Plan and use this plan to refine and detail the Facility Master Plan currently being developed.

Taft College does not have a formal Educational Master Plan at the time of this writing. It was felt that the college should focus first on developing and implementing a comprehensive, sustainable, and useful strategic planning process inked to comprehensive program review and budgeting processes.

To achieve this, Taft College retained consultants from the Datatel Center for

Institutional Effectiveness to begin working with the college in the spring

2009 to develop a new strategic planning process and a strategic plan. This work has culminated in the production of a strategic plan and new mission


Preface lxvii statement by the end of spring 2009. Parallel to these efforts, Taft College's program review process is being revised, incorporating student learning outcomes and budgeting and moving the process to an online medium. It is expected that these new processes will be completed by fall 2009. An

Educational Master Plan would result from the documented completion of one full cycle of the newly revised strategic planning process. Consequently,

Taft College should have a completed Educational Master Plan by spring

2010.


The team recommends the College improve cross-institutional communication between the faculty and staff of the College and WESTEC and develop stronger educational and career ladder linkage between their related curricula and services.

In response to accreditation recommendation number 6, Taft College has relocated its Distance Learning Institute (DLI) to the Taft WESTEC facility.

Coordination and communication are not only more convenient, the DLI is now responsible for serving this population of students. A college counselor and three academic advisors are available to work with WESTEC students.

The DLI Coordinator meets regularly with WESTEC staff to ensure needs are being met. Currently, the college offers certificates and degrees by linking with WESTEC course offerings in three areas: Criminal Justice

Administration, Industrial Health and Safety, and Petroleum Technology. The

Industrial Health and Safety Program was added in direct response to

Recommendation 6. Promotional materials indicating career laddering opportunities are being developed and will be disseminated to WESTEC participants. Cross-institutional understanding will be evaluated yearly to ensure effective coordination and communication.


lxviii Preface

Evaluation of Institutional Effectiveness

Taft College is committed to operating under a comprehensive Educational

Master Plan built on a sound strategic planning process that incorporates all campus program reviews, is linked to budgeting and resource allocation, and accords student learning outcomes the highest priority. To demonstrate this commitment, the college's Planning Council has adopted the ACCJC Rubric for Evaluating Institutional Effectiveness as its official roadmap to guide all program review, planning, and SLO implementation activities with the ultimate goal of achieving "Sustainable, Continuous Quality Improvement" in these three important areas of campus functioning. Consequently, Taft

College, in the three following tables, has identified its current levels of implementation in program review, planning, and SLOs to serve as the foundation for directing its future institutional effectiveness efforts.

Program Review

Levels of

Implementation

Characteristics of Institutional Effectiveness in Program Review

Awareness

Sample Institutional Behaviors

There is preliminary investigative dialogue at the institution or within some departments about what data or process should be used for program review.

There is recognition of existing practices and models in program review that make use of institutional research.

There is exploration of program review models by various departments or individuals.

The college is implementing pilot program review models in a few programs/operational units.

Taft College Behaviors

Taft College was at the “Awareness” level of implementation around 2000-

2001 at the time the Coordinator of

Institutional Research position was created and filled.

Data elements for program review in instruction were identified and program review templates were created.

The first cycle of program review in the instructional divisions was implemented.

Program review in student services followed shortly afterward, but the data elements were identified by SS.


Preface lxix

Levels of

Implementation

Development

Proficiency


Sample Institutional Behaviors

Program review is embedded in practice across the institution using qualitative and quantitative data to improve program effectiveness.

Dialogue about the results of program review is evident within the program as part of discussion of program effectiveness.

Leadership groups throughout the institution accept responsibility for program review framework development (Senate, Admin. Etc.)

Appropriate resources are allocated to conducting program review of meaningful quality.

Development of a framework for linking results of program review to planning for improvement.

Development of a framework to align results of program review to resource allocation.

Taft College Behaviors

Program review in the instructional divisions using the original templates developed in 2001 continued up to present.

Dialogue is extensive within divisions; however, that dialogue was not extended to the Planning Council until recently.

The Senate has only recently become involved in program review. This linkage is not yet fully developed.

Appropriate resources are now being allocated.

Program review is currently being linked to strategic planning and budgeting through a revamping of the strategic planning process.

Student learning outcomes have recently been incorporated into program review.

Program review processes are in place and implemented regularly.

Results of all program review are integrated into institution- wide planning for improvement and informed decision-making.

The program review framework is established and implemented.

Dialogue about the results of all program reviews is evident throughout the institution as part of discussion of institutional effectiveness.

Results of program review are clearly and consistently linked to institutional planning processes and resource allocation processes; college can demonstrate or provide specific examples.

The institution evaluates the effectiveness of its program review processes in supporting and improving student achievement and student learning outcomes.

Program review processes are in place, but have not been implemented regularly.

The program review framework is in place but needs to be strengthened.

The new strategic planning process will systematically incorporate program reviews, which will be conducted systematically.

Dialogue on program review has been extensive within units conducting program review, but the mechanisms to extend these dialogues to the institutional level are in development.

This rubric has been shared with the

Planning Council and other committees and will be used as a guide to assess institutional effectiveness in regards to program review.


lxx Preface

Levels of

Implementation


Sample Institutional Behaviors Taft College Behaviors

Sustainable

Continuous

Quality

Improvement

Program review processes are ongoing, systematic and used to assess and improve student learning and achievement.

The institution reviews and refines its program review processes to improve institutional effectiveness.

The results of program review are used to continually refine and improve program practices resulting in appropriate improvements in student

Taft College is moving in the direction of sustainable, continuous quality improvement. Consultants from the

Datatel Center for Institutional

Effectiveness were retained and tasked specifically with assisting the college to develop a cyclical strategic planning process that incorporates program review, is linked to budgeting, is sustainable, and is useful. achievement and learning.

Taft College’s implementation of program review is clearly at the level of development, with some components of implementation at the levels of proficiency and sustainable, continuous quality improvement. One large barrier to implementation has been inadequate resources, mostly in the form of personnel. Taft College, being a small rural community college with a relatively small budget, simply has not had the resources to implement program review at higher levels. This particular barrier has recently been overcome to some extent with the hiring of a full-time coordinator of Career and Technical Education who has implemented model program reviews for programs in the Applied Technologies Division, the first division to undergo program review using the old template developed by the Institutional

Assessment, Research, and Planning Office (IAR&P). In addition, using funds from the STEM grant, the IAR&P office has recently boosted its staff from 1.5

FTE to 3.75 FTE. The same grant was used to purchase new desktop and laptop computer systems for IAR&P to replace computer systems that were

8 to 10 years old. A web server for development of a strategic planning and research website was also purchased with the STEM Grant. Prior to that,

Title V grant funds were used to purchase the eLumen student learning outcomes software, which is maintained by IAR&P. Taft College is currently identifying ways to continue funding for these positions and maintenance of hardware and software.


Preface

Planning

Levels of

Implementation

Awareness

Development lxxi

Characteristics of Institutional Effectiveness in Planning


The college has preliminary investigative dialogue about planning processes.

There is recognition of case need for quantitative and qualitative data and analysis in planning.

The college has initiated pilot projects and efforts in developing systematic cycle of evaluation, integrated planning and implementation (e.g. in human or physical resources).

Planning found in only some areas of college operations.

Taft College has always had a planning process that made use of quantitative data for decision making.

Qualitative data have been added relatively recently.

Cyclical pilot projects and systematic, integrated evaluation and planning efforts existed within various divisions and units for decades. However, those efforts were not well integrated into the institutional level strategic planning efforts. Program reviews within the instructional area are good examples of this lack of integrated planning.

There is exploration of models and definitions and issues related to planning.

There is minimal linkage between plans and a resource allocation process, perhaps planning for use of

"new money"

The college may have a consultantsupported plan for facilities, or a strategic plan.

The Institution has defined a planning process and assigned responsibility for implementing it.

The Institution has identified quantitative and qualitative data and is using it.

Planning efforts are specifically linked to institutional mission and goals.

The Institution uses applicable quantitative data to improve institutional effectiveness in some areas of operation.

Governance and decision-making processes incorporate review of institutional effectiveness in mission and plans for improvement.

Planning processes reflect the participation of a broad constituent base.

Taft College has had an informally defined planning process for decades.

Within the last year or so, that planning process has been refined and more formally defined.

Quantitative and qualitative indicators of success have been in use for the last eight years.

Planning efforts are specifically linked to the college's mission and goals through the new program and resource allocation procedures.

Quantitative data such as course success rates have been used to improve programs since around 2002.

The use of institutional effectiveness data in governance and decision making processes has been sporadic in the past. However, the newly created strategic planning process makes use of institutional effectiveness data.

There has always been broad participation in Taft College's planning efforts.


lxxii Preface

Levels of

Implementation

Proficiency



The college has a well documented, ongoing process for evaluating itself in all areas of operation, analyzing and publishing the results and planning and implementing improvements.

The institution's component plans are integrated into a comprehensive plan to achieve broad educational purposes, and improve institutional effectiveness.

The institution effectively uses its human, physical, technology and financial resources to achieve its broad educational purposes, including stated student learning outcomes.

The college has documented assessment results and communicated matters of quality assurance to appropriate constituencies (documents data and analysis of achievement of its educational mission).

The institution assesses progress toward achieving its education goals over time (uses longitudinal data and analyses).

The institution plans and effectively incorporates results of program review in all areas of educational services: instruction, support services, library and learning resources.

Program review processes are ongoing, systematic and used to assess and improve student learning and achievement.

Taft College's documentation of its planning process is not well developed; likewise, it does not extend to all areas of operation although the college is making progress toward this end.

Component plans at present are mostly standalone pieces. Although they presented to the Planning

Council, they are not integrated into a larger planning effort.

Human, physical, technological, and financial resources are effectively utilized to achieve the college's broad educational purposes. However,

SLOs are not presently integrated into these efforts.

Assessment results pertaining to

SLOs have only recently been documented. The college is in the process of identifying institutional level key success indicators.

Longitudinal data to assess program effectiveness and progress toward achieving goals have been used since around 2002.

Although program review has been conducted for decades and the results used for program improvement in instructional and student services areas, the program review results have not been well integrated into strategic planning efforts.

SLOs per se have only recently been integrated into program review.


Preface lxxiii

Levels of

Implementation



Sustainable

Continuous

Quality

Improvement

The institution uses ongoing and systematic evaluation and planning to refine its key processes and improve student learning.

There is dialogue about institutional effectiveness that is ongoing, robust and pervasive; data and analyses are widely distributed and used throughout the institution.

There is ongoing review and adaptation of evaluation and planning processes.

There is consistent and continuous commitment to improving student learning; and educational effectiveness is a demonstrable priority in all planning structures and

Taft College has recently identified the need for ongoing and systematic evaluation of key processes and has taken measures to implement those evaluations.

The dialogue regarding institutional effectiveness has been ongoing since around 2002 with the Partnership for

Excellence initiative. Data and analyses have been available although sometimes sporadic due to lack of resources.

The evaluation and planning processes have certainly been adapted in the last one to two years.

A consistent and continuous focus on student learning is not yet permeated processes. throughout the institution although it certainly has been a priority within various instructional and student services units.

Given the examples of institutional behavior pertaining to strategic planning and program review outlined in this rubric, Taft College is clearly at the level of development and is making headway into the proficiency level of implementation. Likewise, there are elements indicating a sustainable, continuous quality improvement level of implementation; however, those elements are not yet threaded throughout the institution. The need to achieve a more integrated, sustainable level of strategic planning that facilitates continuous quality improvement has been recognized by college staff for years and efforts have been directed toward achieving these goals.

However, again, the lack of resources at a small, rural community college has created obstacles that were not easily overcome. With the awarding of several grants that could be used to augment resources targeting planning activities and resources, Taft College has made considerable progress in elevating itself toward a level of sustainable, continuous quality improvement in regards to both program review and strategic planning.


lxxiv Preface

Student Learning Outcomes

Levels of

Implementation

Awareness

Development

Characteristics of Institutional Effectiveness in Student Learning Outcomes


There is preliminary, investigative dialogue about student learning outcomes.

There is recognition of existing practices such as course objectives and how they relate to student learning outcomes.

There is exploration of models, definitions, and issues taking place by a few people.

Pilot projects and efforts may be in progress.

As early as 2002, Course SLOs were drafted and added to Course

Outlines.

Darlene Pacheco’s SLO presentation at inservice in 2002 explored the link between course objectives and SLOs.

Course SLOs were revised by faculty beginning in 2008. Using learning objectives from the CORs, Bloom’s

Taxonomy, and a more practical definition of assessment, faculty wrote new course SLOs that were manageable, broader than learning objectives, and which represented the accomplishment of many objectives.

Faculty attended Mary Allen’s inservice presentation on SLOs and

Program Review in 2007.

eLumen was piloted in 2007.

The college has discussed whether to define student learning outcomes at the level of some courses or programs or degrees; where to begin.

SLO assessment teams launched in

Summer of 2008, have continued every semester.

Taft College began with course level

SLOs in 2002.

Institutional SLOs were drafted and approved in 2007-2008.

College has established an institutional framework for definition of student learning outcomes (where to start), how to extend, and timeline.

College has established authentic assessment strategies for assessing student learning outcomes as appropriate to intended course, program, and degree learning outcomes.

In 2009, faculty began drafting program SLOs.

Discipline appropriate faculty are responsible for writing course SLOs.

New SLOASC committee, approved by local senate in May of 2009, will help target program assessments in advance of divisions’ program reviews.

Authentic assessment was topic of

Janet Fulks and Sue-Granger

Dickson’s discussion at Taft College’s

Academic Senate meeting in January,

2009.

Authentic Assessments are in place in dental hygiene, computer science, art, cell biology, chemistry, and

English.


Preface lxxv

Levels of

Implementation

Proficiency



Existing organizational structures

(e.g. Senate, Curriculum Committee) are supporting strategies for student learning outcomes definition and assessment.

Leadership groups (e.g. Academic

Senate and administration), have accepted responsibility for student learning outcomes implementation.

Appropriate resources are being allocated to support student learning outcomes and assessment.

Academic Senate, Faculty

Association, and Administration had a voice in authorizing the SLO

Assessment teams.

Academic Senate approved SLOASC committee in May of 2009. SLOASC will report to Senate and Curriculum; will feed assessment data to planning through program review

Academic Senate approved modification to Program Review template to include SLOs in 2009.

Academic Senate and Planning

Council worked together to define

SLOASC committee in 2009.

Participants were of SLO assessment teams funded by grant funds.

In service time and senate agendas have been devoted in part to SLOs.

New SLOASC Committee will meet as working committee, as professional commitment of faculty.

Faculty and staff are fully engaged in student learning outcomes development.

Faculty from all divisions have participated in SLO Assessment teams. Counselors and adjunct instructors have participated and completed SLO Assessment Reports.

Student learning outcomes and authentic assessment are in place for courses, programs and degrees.

Faculty have identified assessments for SLOs and completed assessments on the course level.

Instructors have changed their teaching as a result of the assessments.

Results of assessment are being used for improvement and further alignment of institution-wide practices.

There is widespread institutional dialogue about the results.

Math and ESL departments have done SLO assessment reports with multiple instructors and sections assessing the same SLO. Successful integration of SLO data into program review will make the assessment results more useful and widespread.

Instructors share their completed

Assessment Reports with their divisions.

Completed Assessment Reports posted on Taft College SLO

Webpage.


lxxvi Preface

Levels of

Implementation

Sustainable

Continuous

Quality

Improvement



Decision-making includes dialogue on the results of assessment and is purposefully directed toward improving student learning.

Appropriate resources continue to be allocated and fine-tuned.

Currently, improvements based on completed assessment only happen at the course level. To move forward,

SLO assessment data from programs should be linked to planning through

Program Review.

Creation of new committee and authorization of summer 2009 program SLO in service are examples of Taft College focusing its existing resources on progressive SLO work.

Comprehensive assessment reports exist and are completed on a regular basis.

26 completed Individual Assessment

Reports in 2008-2009; 8 more underway currently. These are the product of SLO Assessment Team participants. Specific SLO assessments that represent programs need to be targeted and executed in advance of Program Review; this is part of the charter of the SLOASC.

Course student learning outcomes are aligned with degree student learning outcomes.

Course SLOs are aligned with institutional SLOs.

More program SLOs need to be written.

Students demonstrate awareness of goals and purposes of courses and programs in which they are enrolled.

Student learning outcomes and assessment are ongoing, systematic and used for continuous quality improvement.

Dialogue about student learning is ongoing, pervasive and robust.

SLO webpage is public to students.

Many instructors print SLOs on syllabi.

More student awareness of goals and purposes of courses and programs is needed. A student representative on the new SLOASC, a collaboration with the Psychology Club, or a project with the Associated Student Body are all avenues that the SLO coordinator should explore.

At present, SLO assessments need to be more structured and purposefully executed. The emphasis up until spring of 2009 has been on educating faculty through hands-on experience

(SLO assessment teams) and connecting SLOs to assessment. In the future, specific assessments should be targeted and executed in advance of program review. This is an area for improvement.

SLO discussions have occurred in division meetings, Academic Senate,


Preface lxxvii

Levels of

Implementation


Sample Institutional Behaviors Taft College Behaviors division chairs’ meetings, and at the

Planning Council.

Evaluation and fine-tuning of organizational structures to support student learning is ongoing.

At present, Taft College is building a structure for assessing program SLOs through Program Review. The organizational structure to support

SLOs needs to be expanded.

Student learning improvement is a visible priority in all practices and structures across the college.

Learning outcomes are specifically linked to program reviews.

Individual Assessment Reports; faculty evaluations; Student Services internal reviews; and the use of internal and external scans by IAR&P, planning, and divisions; are all examples of efforts across Taft

College to bolster and improve student learning.

Taft College’s local Academic Senate approved a modification to the existing Program Review template in spring 2009; the template incorporates SLO assessment data, program SLO alignment, and a field for faculty to interpret the SLO data and request resources for improvement.

Part of the charter of the new

SLOASC is to target assessments in advance of divisions’ program reviews. The data from these assessments will be fed to IAR&P in advance of Program Review to populate the SLO section of the

Program Review template.

Completed Program Reviews, with

SLO Assessment data interpreted, will be brought to the Planning

Council.

Taft College’s behaviors in SLO identification, assessment, and improvement at the course, institutional, and program levels place the college clearly within the level of development, with some behaviors aligning more closely with sample institutional behaviors in the level of proficiency. The development of practices to identify and assess SLOs has been an ongoing effort at Taft College since 2002, when instructors began drafting course level SLOs. Confusion, a willingness to learn, and ongoing, healthy dialogue have contributed to the progress Taft College has made in SLOs since 2002.

The local Academic Senate, administration, faculty, and classified staff have had a voice in helping shape the campus culture of student learning


lxxviii Preface outcomes. In fall of 2008, Taft College’s first SLO coordinator began working to unify, hone, and facilitate improvement of existing practices. Inservice work sessions, paid SLO assessment teams, and ongoing, respectful dialogue have helped move the effort to meaningfully assess SLOs for improvement forward. In spring of 2009, the Academic Senate approved a revision to the existing Program Review template to include SLO assessment data. The creation of a new SLO webpage to consolidate resources and current, revised SLOs and the creation and approval of the new Student

Learning Outcomes Assessment Steering Committee (SLOASC) represent the campus-wide dialogue and work that have propelled the institution forward in this crucial area. Part of the charter of the SLOASC is to identify areas for improvement and further facilitate campus-wide assessment of SLOs in all areas.

____________________________________________________________

Taft College students perform a traditional Hawaiian dance at the "Luau for

Li'i" in April, 2005, in commemoration of Assistant Coach Li'i Pearl.

____________________________________________________________


Standard I 1

STANDARD I

Institutional Mission and Effectiveness

he institution demonstrates strong commitment to a mission that emphasizes achievement of student learning and to communicating the mission internally and externally. The institution uses analyses of quantitative and qualitative data and analysis in an ongoing and systematic cycle of evaluation, integrated planning, implementation, and re-evaluation to verify and improve the effectiveness by which the mission is accomplished.

A. Mission

The institution has a statement of mission that defines the institution’s broad educational purposes, its intended student population, and its commitment to achieving student learning.

1. The institution establishes student learning programs and services aligned with its purposes, its character, and its student population.

Description

The Taft College Mission

Statement: 2009 identifies the broad-based educational purposes the college seeks to achieve. The mission statement guides the institution in meeting the needs of an increasingly diverse student population. Following a recent reorganization of the strategic planning process the mission statement underwent revision. It is expected that the new mission statement will go before the Board of Trustees in July 2009, for final approval in August 2009.

1 The newly revised mission statement reads as follows:

Taft College Mission Statement: 2009

The vision of the West Kern Community

College District is:

At Taft College all learners achieve their learning goals.

The mission of the West Kern Community

College District is:

Taft College is committed to student learning in transfer and career and technical education programs supported by precollegiate basic skills and a wide range of student services. All programs and services are focused on the educational needs of the community learners.

We value:

Students and evidence of their success.

A learning community with teaching excellence.

An environment conducive to learning, fairness, and continuous improvement.

A communicative, collaborative, collegial, and respectful culture.

A partnership of students, faculty, and support services.


2

Innovation, diversity, creativity, and critical thinking.

A mutually beneficial relationship with the community we serve.

Academic, financial, personal and professional integrity.

A transparent, accessible governance structure that includes institutional-wide dialogue.

Given our vision, mission and values, these are our goals:

Taft College will continuously improve student learning outcomes, success, and achievement through a variety of programs and services and effective learning support processes.

Taft College will ensure employee success for the long term health of the institution.

Taft College will continue to engage the community at all levels in order to support its long term educational, social and economic development.

Taft College will maximize both its shortterm and long-term enrollment opportunities.

Taft College will maximize resources to sustain future growth and development while linking planning to budget.

Taft College will provide the necessary technology for institutional success.

Taft College fulfills its mission by providing:

Quality instructional programs and services

Comprehensive associate degree and certificate programs

Appropriate general education and transfer courses

Technology-based instruction for on-site and distancelearning courses.

The use of visual, auditory, and kinesthetic modalities to

Standard I assess student learning outcomes

Courses and activities practical to promote current and future problem solving

A campus that supports and encourages continuous learning and professional development

A cooperative campus population that practices shared governance.

The Taft College Mission Statement is reviewed annually and represents the consensus of institutional purposes from a broad-based campus constituency.

During the spring 2008 inservice the college held a special session to revise the mission statement.

This session included students, faculty, administrators, support staff, and board members. The

Planning Council gathered input from the attendees, evaluated it in light of additional demographic data, and created the 2009 mission statement at a retreat in spring of that year.

2 The vision and mission statements will be adopted as

Board Policy 1200 at the August

2009, board meeting.

3

The Planning Council reviews extensive data on Taft College’s service area population and student population before developing the goals of the mission statement. The program review and planning processes assure that all student learning programs and services are aligned with these goals.


Standard I

Self-Evaluation

Taft College meets this standard.

The mission statement undergoes annual review by the Planning

Council and other key stakeholders to ensure it is kept up to date and meets the needs of the community and students.

Planning Agenda

None.

2. The mission statement is approved by the governing board and published.

Description

Because it is a board policy, the college mission statement must be approved by the board before it can be widely disseminated to the campus community. The approval process requires two separate meeting sessions, during which the mission statement is reviewed and discussed at sessions open to the public. This process offers community members sufficient time to review the proposed mission statement and provide input. The previous mission statement was approved by the

West Kern Community College

District Board of Trustees on June

12, 2008.

After board approval, the mission statement is distributed through a wide variety of methods:

3

In the current college catalog on the inside of the front and back covers and in the text of the catalog 4

On the College website located on the ―About Us‖ link 5

The ―Administration &

Campus Policies‖ link under the Board Policies &

Procedures in Chapter 1 – BP

1200

On the Institutional

Assessment, Research, and

Planning (IAR&P) Office website 6 where a description of the process on how it was developed is also posted

Via a general announcement in the FirstClass email system.

Self-Evaluation


The Board of Trustees participates in the development of the mission statement and approves the final version. To increase awareness of the college's mission among students, employees and community members, the final mission statement is published extensively in a variety of formats.

Planning Agenda

None.

3. Using the institution's governance and decisionmaking processes, the institution reviews its mission statement on a regular basis


4 and revises it as necessary.

Description

The mission statement is an integral part of Taft College’s vision for the future. As such, the Taft

College Planning Council addresses the appropriateness and timeliness of the Taft College mission statement on a regular basis.

The review of the current Taft

College mission statement was placed on the agenda for the Taft

College Planning Council meeting on November 29, 2007.

7 At the

Planning Council meeting William

Duncan, then interim superintendent/president, recommended a one-day planning retreat which would include a discussion of the mission statement. The discussion was open to all staff, faculty, and student representatives. During faculty inservice in spring 2008, the mission statement was the subject of a full-day planning retreat. This inservice session updated the mission statement to reflect current needs and thinking regarding the purpose and direction of the institution. The participants in the retreat also decided that the mission statement would be reviewed annually shortly after the start of each fall semester.

8

Self-Evaluation


Upon review of the suggestions

Standard I from the faculty and staff, revisions to the old mission statement were implemented and a new mission statement that embraces the campus vision for the future was put into place. Institutional goals followed in spring 2009, at which time the most recent mission statement was approved by the

Planning Council and forwarded to the board for their approval.

Planning Agenda

Ensure that the college’s mission statement is reviewed once per year.

4. The institution’s mission is central to institutional planning and decision making.

Description

The strategic planning process has recently been formalized and altered to allow for greater input from campus constituencies. A key impetus for the reorganization was the need for better documentation of college processes.

The new process is data-driven and cyclical. In the first implementation of the new process, the Planning

Council set out to identify the needs of the community and ensure that the mission statement addressed those needs. The council reviewed data from the Madrid report 9 and a review of the local labor market, 10 and rewrote the mission statement accordingly.


Standard I

Addressing the mission statement first ensures that it will guide all subsequent changes to college procedure. Once these changes have been made, the mission statement is reviewed again and the cycle repeats. Taft College has made a commitment to carry out one cycle of the strategic planning process each year; the next review of the mission statement will take place in fall 2009.

Self-Evaluation


However, some of Taft College’s processes are informal and not well documented. Taft College’s small size has allowed for informal

5 discussions and processes to occur in the past. As the reform of the strategic planning process proceeds, many of these processes are being formalized and brought within the larger framework of the strategic planning process.

Planning Agenda

Continuous review of processes to ensure that they are meeting identified needs and adhering to goals in the mission statement.

Ongoing training for the college community to ensure that processes are understood and followed.


6 Standard I

____________________________________________________________

Taft College students prepare to attend their graduation ceremony.

____________________________________________________________

B. Improving Institutional

Effectiveness

The institution demonstrates a conscious effort to produce and support student learning, measures that learning, assesses how well learning is occurring, and makes changes to improve student learning. The institution also organizes its key processes and allocates its resources to effectively support student learning. The institution demonstrates its effectiveness by providing 1) evidence of the achievement of student learning outcomes and 2) evidence of institution and program performance. The institution uses ongoing and systematic evaluation and planning to refine its key processes and improve student learning.

1. The institution maintains an ongoing, collegial, selfreflective dialogue about the continuous improvement of student learning and institutional processes.

Description

Taft College employs a variety of


Standard I methods to address continuous improvement of student learning.

For example, course success rates are evaluated annually by division chairs, faculty, and program coordinators and are incorporated into each division’s program review. Student course success rates, within-term retention rates, term-to-term persistence rates, and course sequence improvement 11 are evaluated as part of various program implementations such as the basic skills initiative, Title V grant funded projects, and placement test evaluations. Student learning outcome processes and measures are discussed at ongoing training sessions conducted by the SLO coordinator 12 and are being incorporated into these continuous improvement processes via program review.

Although all Taft College personnel are committed to student learning in general, numerous committees and other college groups address student learning as part of the committees' regular activities.

These committees or groups include: the Academic Senate, the Learning Support

Division, the Curriculum and General

Education Committee, the division chairs, the learning skills administrators, the Planning Council,

EOPS/CARE,


7 the Academic Development

Committee, the Student Learning

Outcomes Advisory and

Steering Committee, the Board of Trustees, and the Counseling Program

Review Committee.

Issues related to planning are often discussed in the Faculty Association and Academic Senate. Taft College solicits student input through student representatives on the various committees, as well as in formal surveys conducted by the

IAR&P Office. To facilitate dialogue on planning issues, IAR&P created a website where anyone can discuss topics impacting student learning and continuous improvement.

Self-Evaluation

Taft College is meeting this standard although there is room for improvement. The dialogue on improvement of student learning is foremost among faculty and staff as evidenced among other things by: the recent implementation of a completely revised placement process using

Accuplacer that ensures students are properly placed;

13 the introduction of new courses and programs to fill gaps in the existing curriculum; 14

8 the creation and filling of new

ESL faculty positions; 15 the many projects conducted utilizing Title V grant funding; 16 the discussions among faculty, staff, and board members regarding the ARCC data; 17 meetings of committees such as the Academic

Development Committee where student success is the primary charge of the committee; 18 the creation of the student learning outcomes (SLO) coordinator position; 19 the many projects being developed using STEM grant funding; 20 revised strategic planning and program review procedures that are based on cyclical evaluation.

All of these activities are evaluated for sustainability, especially during times of financial hardship. For example, many faculty felt the old

ACT placement test was inadequate and, after considerable discussion, the college switched to using the Accuplacer test. A pilot program was implemented and cut scores were selected based on extensive research and evaluation so that the placement tests were aligned with course curricula.

Taft College is moving forward with the development of a comprehensive agenda to incorporate student learning

Standard I outcomes into the program review and planning processes.

Planning Agenda

Incorporate continuous improvement mechanisms into all committees, departments, and processes.

2. The institution sets goals to improve its effectiveness consistent with its stated purposes. The institution articulates its goals and states the objectives derived from them in measurable terms so that the degree to which they are achieved can be determined and widely discussed. The institutional members understand these goals and work collaboratively toward their achievement.

Description

In the fall 2008 semester, Taft

College began working with consultants from the Datatel

Center for Institutional

Effectiveness. The goal of this collaboration was to revamp Taft

College's strategic planning process to bring it into alignment with generally accepted best practices.

Taft College required a strategic planning process that was sustainable, useful, and met accreditation standards. By the end of spring 2009, the Planning

Council and community members had reviewed numerous external


Standard I and internal scan research reports and, based on those reviews, articulated new high level institutional goals aligned with student and community needs. The

Planning Council then defined measurable objectives to achieve those goals, and widely disseminated these goals and objectives for additional input and understanding.

As of summer 2009, a complete cycle of the newly implemented strategic planning process has not yet been completed.

Self-Evaluation


Taft College has continued to improve its strategic planning processes since the last accreditation self study in 2003, when the visiting team recommended that a strategic planning process be developed that incorporated program review, budgeting and allocation processes tied to planning, and SLOs. Some important changes were made early on, such as restructuring of the planning committee to make it the de facto shared governance committee on campus with representation from all functional units of the campus community.

However, strategic planning, program review, budgeting, and

SLOs still remained fragmented.

Under the new president, the implementation of a beneficial, sustainable strategic planning process has become an

9 institutional priority.

Planning Agenda

None.

3. The institution assesses progress toward achieving its stated goals and makes decisions regarding the improvement of institutional effectiveness in an ongoing and systematic cycle of evaluation, integrated planning, resource allocation, implementation, and reevaluation. Evaluation is based on analyses of both quantitative and qualitative data.

Description

The strategic planning process being implemented at Taft College employs an ongoing and systematic cycle of evaluation and process improvement to determine effectiveness and progress of the college's stated objectives.

Evaluations almost always contain quantitative data used mostly for summative analyses (i.e. How well did we do?) and qualitative data for formative analyses (i.e. What could we do better?).

21 Qualitative data are collected in a variety of formats from a variety of sources, such as questionnaires and on-campus discussion. One mechanism for systematic evaluation is program review, where programs must

"look back" at implementations to assess how well the program was


10 implemented and how much impact it had on the intended outcome measure. These observations are then used for program planning.

Taft College evaluates its operations in a variety of ways:

Program Review – Instructional programs undergo an extensive and rigorous review every two to six years.

22 Findings and conclusions derived from the program evaluation process are used for program improvement and enhancement. In areas where program improvements are needed, divisions and programs develop action plans and implementation strategies for improvement.

Planning Council – The Planning

Council consists of the administrators and management personnel, faculty, classified staff, and a student representative. The

Planning Council plays a critical role in determining priorities for programs and courses offered at the college. In this role the

Planning Council’s actions help ensure that activities and processes align with the college’s mission and vision, and programs meet desired institutional and student learning outcomes.

23

IAR&P Office – Evaluation and program review begins with the gathering and analysis of data provided to the various departments by the IAR&P Office.

Standard I

These data are used by the departments and programs to determine student progress, student demographics, and other pertinent outcomes.

Evaluations – Periodic, regular, and open evaluations examine many facets of Taft College operations.

For example, faculty members are assessed through student surveys, classroom observations, and formal reviews.

24 Similarly, student services departments use a number of ongoing assessments in determining not only how well they provide service, but also to find out how to better serve student needs.

Self-Evaluation

Taft College meets this standard to a certain extent, but improvements would be greatly beneficial to the college. For example, the institution does in fact assess progress toward achieving its goals. However, the results of these assessments often do not find their way back into the planning process. Consequently, the cycle of evaluation becomes fragmented while results remain isolated within one division or department. This has the adverse effect of disassociating the allocation of resources from the overall higher level strategic planning process. Taft College needs to structure the process of evaluation so assessment results are fed back into the planning cycle and used for continuous improvement. This feedback cycle


Standard I would help to link budgeting and resource allocation to planning.

Planning Agenda

Implement evaluation procedures to ensure that the planning process is both well integrated with resource allocation and tied to budgeting and allocation processes. Requested budgets will be incorporated into program review action plans, which are aligned with institutional goals.

These action plans will be reviewed and approved by the Planning

Council.

4. The institution provides evidence that the planning process is broad-based, offers opportunities for input by appropriate constituencies, allocates necessary resources, and leads to improvement of institutional effectiveness.

Description

The principle of shared governance is central to Taft College’s planning and implementation processes.

Taft College is conscientious in ensuring that all interested and appropriate constituencies are involved in the discussions, deliberations, and decisions.

New programs and grant ideas go through the regular discussion and planning process, where they are examined in a number of different forums:

11

Division Meeting, 25

Academic Senate, 27

Planning Council, 28

Division Chairs Meeting, 26

District Board of Trustees, 29 and others depending on the nature of the proposed program or project.

The mission of Taft College is part of the discussion to determine feasibility and practicality of any new proposed program or project.

If necessary, process improvement efforts in current course and program offerings also go through similar planning and implementation to determine changes. Process improvement efforts are conducted with an eye on the appropriateness of such changes to students and stakeholders, applicability to the

Taft College Mission and Vision

Statements, practicality of application to the industry, compliance with professional standards and mandates, feasibility of implementation, and cost benefit/effectiveness.

Aside from the councils and committees mentioned above, Taft

College also has many other committees and activities that allow stakeholders and constituents to be involved in planning process.

Advisory Groups:

Automotive Technology Advisory

Committee – composed of faculty,


12 administration, business and industry representatives; charged with providing input, feedback, and recommendations to the college on automotive technology needs.

Business & Management Advisory

Committee – composed of faculty, administration, business and industry representatives; charged with providing input, feedback, and recommendations to the college on programs and activities relating to business and industry.

Court Reporting Advisory

Committee – composed of faculty, administration, student, and industry representatives in court reporting; charged with providing input, determining need areas, and providing recommendation for improvement for the college’s court reporting program.

Dental Hygiene Advisory

Committee – composed of dental professionals such as dentists, dental hygienists, former students, administration, faculty, and staff; charged with providing recommendations, input, and review of the dental hygiene program.

Energy Committee – composed primarily of industry representatives from the petroleum and energy industry; charged with developing and implementing an energy technician program at Taft

College.

Standard I

Others:

Student Association – selects and plans student activities.

Classified Staff – reviews the needs of classified staff and provides recommendations to the college on areas of improvement and consideration.

Faculty Association – determines the needs of faculty and provides recommendations to the college on areas of improvement and consideration.

Facilities Committee – reviews and determines needs of the college pertaining to facilities and maintenance.

Almost all committee meetings and inservice meetings are open to anyone who wishes to attend and provide input. In addition, during the mission statement development process, all documents are submitted to the college community for input via the institution’s FirstClass electronic announcement board.

Priorities for planned projects are established by the Planning

Council. Anyone who wishes to establish a new program must submit a summary of the proposed project listing criteria established by the Planning Council. The proposed projects are then evaluated using rubrics that ultimately rank the projects using several criteria.

30 Projects are then


Standard I recommended to the president and board according to their rank given the constraints of the annual budget. This particular method of establishing new programs has been found to be effective and the school is attempting to adapt this process for existing programs.

Resources are allocated after board approval.

All processes that feed into planning are continually evaluated both informally and formally for opportunities for improvement.

Currently, Taft College’s strategic planning process is being revamped to make better use of program review data which will more firmly establish student learning outcomes and other effectiveness indicators into the planning process.

Self-Evaluation

Taft College is meeting this standard with its various methods and ways of participation.

The evidence suggests that opportunities to participate in the planning process are available for those who wish to participate. On a recent survey of faculty and staff conducted specifically for accreditation, 31 84.2% of respondents agreed or felt neutral when asked to rate their agreement with the statement, "All constituents have the opportunity to participate in the development of institutional plans and budgets."

This question combined two

13 completely different areas— participation with planning and participation with budget. It is suspected that those who expressed disagreement did so primarily because they saw limited opportunities to participate in budgeting activities. Another question on the survey asked employees to indicate their agreement with the statement,

"Institutional leaders create an environment for empowerment, innovation, and institutional excellence." Out of the 67 responses, 90.5% expressed agreement or no opinion.

Planning Agenda

Current processes are felt to be satisfactory at this time.

5. The institution uses documented assessment results to communicate matters of quality assurance to appropriate constituencies.

Description

Taft College evaluates its efforts through local research studies, point-of-contact surveys, informal discussions, and in response to ad hoc and specialized requests. Taft

College’s IAR&P Office provides data for numerous analytical reports in the areas of Student

Services, Need for Positions,

Institutional Effectiveness, Mission

Statement, Enrollment

Management, Grant Activities,

External Reports, and other areas


14 when there is a need. The IAR&P

Office has recently purchased the

Cognos reporting tool software and is undertaking to move most of these reports to an automated production schedule so that they will be available on a regular basis.

All reports originating from the

IAR&P Office are made available to the college community via a website where constituents can comment on any particular report.

Taft College makes full use of the

Accountability Reporting for

Community Colleges (ARCC) annual report, which provides an overview of the college's performance on a number of indicators related to course success rates in ESL, basic skills, career and technical education, and college level courses; student

"improvement" rates through series of related courses in math and English; student persistence rates from year to year; and student transfer-ready and transfer rates. Information on these indicators is supplemented by additional, more detailed information such as performance on the indicators by racial group and age group by semester. The results of these analyses are utilized by faculty, staff, and administrators for planning, program evaluation, and to assure constituents of the quality of Taft

College's programs and services.

Annual reports examine demographic trends in distance learning courses as compared to

Standard I classroom-based courses. The reports include data on student population characteristics and progress. The results from these reports are used to improve distance learning courses and programs, if necessary.

The IAR&P Office communicates assessment results to appropriate constituencies through several channels. Reports are circulated by hardcopy directly to the various college committees depending on their individual focus. Information is always disseminated through the

IAR&P website, where it is available to all faculty, staff, students, and anyone outside the college. The coordinator of IAR&P works closely with faculty, staff and administrators and presents research findings to the Planning

Council, Academic Senate, management team, Matriculation

Committee, board members and various agencies in the Taft community.

The IAR&P Office conducts regular studies on specific programs and populations such as Title V and

SSPIRE grant populations. Many of these reports are mandated by the corresponding grants. Regardless, results are always communicated directly to the primary stakeholder and posted on the college's strategic planning website. The

IAR&P Office encourages primary stakeholders to comment via the website on any research analyses conducted for that stakeholder. It is hoped that this practice will


Standard I become the standard, thus transforming the culture to one of evidence and continuous improvement.

Self-Evaluation

Although Taft College is meeting this standard, changes can be made to include additional assessment results related directly to student learning. Taft College is efficient and thorough in collecting, analyzing, and circulating traditional institutional effectiveness data extracted directly from its Management

Information System (MIS) database. All of the reports are readily accessible to all faculty, staff, students, and community members via the internet. In addition, faculty and staff receive e-mail updating them on pertinent information.

Furthermore, access to live data enrollments and student demographics will enable all departments, student services, and administration to quickly find information needed to prepare reports and develop grant proposals. The shift from the legacy MIS system POISE to the new Banner system will make this link of immediate data requests possible.

Documented assessment results related to student learning outcomes are available to the college community via static reports generated by the college's


15 student learning outcomes coordinator through the school's

SLO website. Each report describes a complete assessment from the initial development of the learning outcome to how the information was used to improve the outcome under consideration. These reports will be incorporated into program review and planning efforts.

Taft College has purchased and installed the eLumen software package for collecting and reporting on student learning outcomes.

32 Several pilot projects have been conducted using eLumen, and additional projects were planned. However, faculty and staff using the product found it complicated and time consuming, even after extensive on-site training. Also, it was determined that the eLumen software forced a model of student learning outcomes that might not be appropriate for some areas of campus functioning such as student services and some types of student learning outcomes other than at the course level.

Consequently, the faculty and staff at Taft College worked directly with the eLumen company to make modifications to the software to add flexibility in the product so that more than a single model of student learning outcomes could be accommodated. The most recent release of eLumen reflecting these changes was made available at the time of this writing.

16

Planning Agenda

Standardize the production of frequently used MIS extracted reports.

Take advantage of technology assisted assessment documentation—such as eLumen reports—and communicate that documentation to the appropriate constituencies.

6. The institution assures the effectiveness of its ongoing planning and resource allocation processes by systematically reviewing and modifying, as appropriate, all parts of the cycle, including institutional and other research efforts.

Description

The planning and resource allocation processes have been systematically reviewed at least twice since the 2003 accreditation self study and evaluation.

The first review led to a restructuring of the planning process primarily involving the

Planning Committee and Budget

Advisory Committee. The Budget

Advisory Committee was originally established to identify and prioritize projects resulting from the Partnership for Excellence funds. The Planning Committee was designated as the de facto shared governance committee on campus, and was renamed the

Standard I

Planning Council. Its membership prior to the restructuring was determined in large part by member self selection: individuals who felt they had a role to play in planning joined the committee.

After the restructuring, the membership of the Planning

Council was based on positions which were selected to represent all functional parts of the campus community. The membership positions of the Planning Council are listed on the Planning

33 The Planning Council is website.

co-chaired by the president of the

Academic Senate and the superintendent/president of the college, who jointly set the agendas. Consequently, responsibility for the planning agenda is shared by faculty and administrators. The Budget

Advisory Committee, which had originally been created to prioritize budget requests, was eliminated and its duties were assigned to the

Planning Council. The new Planning

Council meets twice each month instead of once each month, and meetings are open to everyone.

The new arrangement had both advantages and disadvantages.

One advantage was that representation of all constituents in the planning process was clear.

One merely needed to talk to their

Planning Council representative to bring their concerns to the

Planning Council. One disadvantage of the new process was that the new structure and associated processes did not allow


Standard I for a strong linkage between planning and budgeting as the agenda was usually taken up with day-to-day activities. Despite going to a twice-monthly meeting schedule, the Planning Council was consumed with an overwhelming amount of work related to shared governance issues. This weakness became more apparent as time passed.

A second systematic review of the planning and budgeting processes was undertaken starting in the spring 2008 semester. A task force was appointed by the Planning

Council to identify potential methods by which budgeting could be more strongly linked to the planning process. This task force was charged to recommend changes to the planning process that would bring Taft College into compliance with the accreditation standards relating to strategic planning and to address the relevant recommendations from the 2003 site visit evaluation. To assure that institutional research was integrated into the planning process, the coordinator of

Institutional Assessment,

Research, and Planning was part of this task force. Other members included faculty, administrators, and classified staff. The task force met numerous times and reviewed planning models from several other colleges. Ultimately, their recommendation was to bring in a consultant to help the college develop a more effective and upto-date strategic planning process.

17

Several consultants were contacted, and two were invited to make presentations before the

Planning Council in fall 2008. After much discussion, one company— the Datatel Center for Institutional

Effectiveness—was retained and began services with the college in spring 2009.

Self-Evaluation


The college has demonstrated its willingness to review and modify its strategic planning cycle, including any formal institutional research efforts and informal individual or other research efforts. The charter of the Planning Council requires a self evaluation process that allows corrections to be made if needed.

The most recent restructuring of the planning process was implemented largely in part to bring Taft College into compliance with the accreditation standards.

However, it is generally acknowledged that the college would benefit greatly from a revamping of the strategic planning process to bring the process into alignment with generally accepted best practices. In addition, it is acknowledged that many varieties of research are conducted at Taft

College in investigations on the effectiveness of student learning, and that many of these research activities take place outside of the purview of the IAR&P Office.

Regretfully, the results of these investigations oftentimes are not disseminated outside of a small


18 circle of collaborators.

Planning Agenda

Make the evaluation of the planning and allocation processes

"systematic" by adding an annual evaluation component to the charter.

7. The institution assesses its evaluation mechanisms through a systematic review of their effectiveness in improving instructional programs, student support services, and library and other learning support services.

Description

Ongoing systematic reviews are necessary to examine the effectiveness of instructional programs, student supportive services, the library, and other learning support services. These reviews ensure that all college operations adhere to the college’s mission statement and spirit of continuous improvement.

Systematic reviews also facilitate the institution’s ability to increase, improve, and accomplish instructional goals.

Taft College employs the following ongoing systematic evaluations:

Program Review

Instructional programs are scheduled to undergo an extensive

Standard I and rigorous review every two to six years.

Student Support Services are scheduled to undergo an extensive and rigorous review every six to eight years.

Career and Technical Education

(CTE) programs must undergo an extensive and rigorous review every two to three years. While division program reviews have been conducted regularly, discipline specific program reviews for each CTE program have been limited. With Taft College hiring a full time coordinator of CTE, the college has begun to conduct regular discipline specific program reviews in the CTE area. Reviews have being conducted for many of the CTE areas such as Automotive,

Welding, Secretarial Studies, and

Early Childhood Education while reviews for other areas such as

Information Management and

Office Technology were completed in spring 2009.

Findings and conclusions derived from the program evaluation process are used for program improvement and enhancement. In areas where program improvements are needed, Taft

College will work with the division and program to determine a plan of action and strategies for improvement.

Departmental Meetings

Departments often evaluate their


Standard I programs and brainstorm about various ways to enhance learning outcomes for students.

Departments such as Student

Support Services meet weekly to discuss, assess, and evaluate the effectiveness of a multitude of their programs and services.

Department meetings occur regularly. During these meetings new ideas are presented and plans of action are established.

Self-Evaluation

Taft College is meeting this standard, but there is room for improvement, especially with discipline specific program reviews in career and technical education fields. Likewise, improvements to the evaluation process itself have been sporadic as opposed to being systematic. These limitations and their underlying causes have been identified and discussed, and solutions have been identified and are being implemented. Taft

College has continued to participate in program reviews and departmental meetings since the last self study in 2003.

Program reviews determine Taft

College’s strengths and areas in need of improvement. Faculty and staff participate in informal meetings and formal departmental meetings. These meetings provide opportunities for growth, the sharing of ideas, and pathways to improve the overall effectiveness of

Taft College’s programs and student services.


19

To build on existing informal processes, Taft College is revamping its strategic planning process to incorporate a cyclical evaluation process both for the programs being evaluated and for the evaluation process itself. The program review process is currently being moved from a traditional "pen and paper" modality to an online modality where program reviews and associated action plans can be submitted electronically and are available to anyone who has been granted permission to view the submissions.

34 While working with the Datatel Center for Institutional

Effectiveness, a regular component of Planning Council meetings is to collect data on "delta plus/negatives"—that is, what worked well and what did not and how to move from the latter to the former.

Planning Agenda

Incorporate formal processes to assess and improve evaluation mechanisms in those processes where evaluation is central.

Supporting Documents

1 Board of Trustees Meeting Minutes

August 2009

2 Planning Council Meeting Minutes

April 18, 2009

3 Board Policy 1200

<http://www.taftcollege.edu/newTC/

Administration/Board/Policies/PDF/b p_1200.pdf>

4 Taft College Catalog

20

5 Taft College Website – About Us

<http://web.taftcollege.edu/about.s

html>

6 IAR&P Website http://planning.taftcollege.edu/

7 Planning Council Meeting Minutes

November 29, 2007

8 Inservice Minutes Spring 2008

9 Taft College Rural Opportunities

Study Grant Environmental Scan

Highlights by Madrid Consulting

Group

10 Labor Market Review

11 IAR&P Research Reports

<http://planning.taftcollege.edu/foru m/downloads.php>

12 Taft College SLO Website

<http://faculty.taftcollege.edu/slos/d ata/slo.shtml>

13 Accuplacer Schedule

<http://web.taftcollege.edu/student

_services/pdf/orientation/orientation

Sch.pdf>

14 Taft College Class Schedule


_services/schedule.shtml>

15 HR Job Announcement

16 List of Title V Grant Projects

17 ARCC Discussion Thread

<http://planning.taftcollege.edu/foru m/showthread.php?t=155>

18 Charter of Academic Development

Committee

19 Job Announcement

20 List of STEM Projects

21 Strategic Planning Section of IAR&P

Site

22 Sample Program Review

23 Planning Council Charter

24 Student and Formal Faculty

Evaluation Forms

25 Applied Technology Meeting Minutes for Spring 2009

26 Division Chairs Meeting Agendas for

Spring 2009

27 Academic Senate Meeting Minutes for Spring 2009

28 Planning Council Meeting Minutes for

Spring 2009

29 Board of Trustees Meeting Minutes for Spring 2009

Standard I

30 Sample Rubric from the Planning

Council, for use in Evaluating

Projects

31 Taft College Survey of Faculty and

Staff, Spring 2008

32 eLumen Contract

33 Members link on IAR&P Website

<http://planning.taftcollege.edu/ind ex.php?pageid=members>

34 Action Planning link on IAR&P

Website

<http://planning.taftcollege.edu/ind ex.php?pageid=ap>


Standard II 21

STANDARD II

Student Learning Programs and Services

he institution offers high quality instructional programs, student support services, and library and learning support services that facilitate and demonstrate the achievement of stated student learning outcomes. The institution provides an environment that supports learning, enhances student understanding and appreciation of diversity, and encourages personal and civic responsibility as well as intellectual, aesthetic, and personal development for all of its students.

A. Instructional Programs

The institution offers high-quality instructional programs in recognized and emerging fields of study that culminate in identified student outcomes leading to degrees, certificates, employment, or transfer to other higher education institutions or programs consistent with its mission.

Instructional programs are systematically assessed in order to assure currency, improve teaching and learning strategies, and achieve stated student learning outcomes. The provisions of this standard are broadly applicable to all instructional activities offered in the name of the institution.

1. The institution demonstrates that all instructional programs, regardless of location or means of delivery, address and meet the mission of the institution and uphold its integrity.

Description

Taft College’s programs and courses meet the college’s mission statement, 1 are assured of quality, and are improved through the

Curriculum and General Education

Committee, articulation agreements, program review, and evaluation of courses for all instructional faculty. The combined work of the Curriculum and

General Education Committee, the articulation officer, program review, and evaluation of courses through faculty evaluation ensure high quality programs and courses meet the mission of Taft College.

New academic programs are brought to Planning Council to ensure that they are appropriate to the institution and student need.

They are reviewed by the


Committee, then forwarded to the

Board of Trustees, and finally submitted to the Chancellor’s

Office. This process works to ensure appropriate academic


22 program and course offerings uphold Taft College’s mission statement, are appropriate to student need, and are of high quality.

Self-Evaluation

The Curriculum and General

Education Committee not only plays the central role in approving new courses and academic programs, but also oversees necessary changes to existing courses for improvement, currency, and appropriateness. To fulfill this role, the Curriculum and

General Education Committee continuously trains committee members to review proposed courses, course changes, and programs. The technical review subcommittee, part of the


Committee, provides critical revisions for all reviews brought before the committee.

Typically, instructional faculty or division members author new courses or propose changes to existing courses, and their suggestions are brought to the division chair along with evidence that the new courses and course changes appropriate and necessary. New courses must be accompanied by a completed

Course Approval Application 2

New Course Request 3

and

form, both of which initially substantiate the appropriateness of the proposed course for Taft College’s student population and the articulation

Standard II pattern the course satisfies. With this information the department, administration, and the Curriculum and General Education Committee ascertain if the class satisfies a crucial element of Taft College’s

Mission Statement: the commitment to ―student learning in transfer and career and technical education programs supported by pre-collegiate basic skills and a wide range of student services.‖

The approvals by the division chair, vice president of instruction, curriculum co-chair, and articulation officer, allow the proposed course to be brought to the Curriculum and General

Education Committee. At this level when any changes are needed, the committee sends the course documents back to its author for changes. After changes are made, the documents are resubmitted to the committee. Upon securing approval by vote of the committee, tentatively approved courses are forwarded to the Office of

Instruction for another review, then to the Board of Trustees, then to the Chancellor’s Office, and finally on to the California State

University (CSU) and the University of California (UC) systems to check for compliance with General

Education (GE) breadth requirements and the

Intersegmental General Education

Transfer Curriculum (IGETC) requirements (if the course is transferrable). If a proposed course is a distance learning offering, there is also a specific application


Standard II required for consideration by the

Planning Council.

4 At any point in this procedure when revisions are needed, documents are returned to the original author, and the process starts anew.

The approval process for new academic programs is similar, but new programs are first brought to the Planning Council 5 before going to the Curriculum and General

Education Committee. In December of 2009, members of the Planning

Council devised a matrix for ranking new programs.

6 The matrix includes criteria for aligning programs with the college’s mission and meeting community needs.

7 The matrix has been used 8 to rank new program proposals.

9

All Curriculum and General

Education Committee 10 members participate in mandatory training sessions that cover the procedures of the committee and also explore standards and criteria for courses alignment with the Education Code.

Importantly, the chair of the


Committee has conducted additional training 11 sessions covering the requirements for creating new courses and programs for faculty members who are outside the Curriculum and

General Education Committee.

Additionally, Taft College’s articulation officer utilizes Online

Services for Curriculum and

Articulation Review (OSCAR) 12 to post Course Outlines of Record,


23 review course outlines from other colleges, and to establish and maintain course articulation agreements with the UC and CSU systems, an important process for ensuring that lower division courses meet UC and CSU transfer requirements.

Program review, occurring every six years for most divisions and more regularly for Career and

Technical Education (CTE) programs, includes a departmental overview, observations about core data elements, generalizations on overall program quality, a review of progress toward previously established goals, and summary.

Taft College also uses the evaluation of tenure track,

13 tenured, and adjunct faculty 14 as another way to ensure the quality of instructional programs. When being evaluated, faculty members are required to identify and list specific improvement strategies in place for each of their courses.

This information 16

15

is reviewed by a peer evaluation committee and the vice president of instruction. In addition to classroom evaluations by the vice president of instruction and the peer evaluation committee, 17 students also evaluate the performance of their instructors.

18 The evaluation cycle of instruction is continuous and provides the basis for recommendations to the board to retain or dismiss faculty.

24

Planning Agenda

None. a. The institution identifies and seeks to meet the varied educational needs of its students through programs consistent with their educational preparation and the diversity, demographics, and economy of its communities. The institution relies upon research and analysis to identify student learning needs and to assess progress toward achieving stated learning outcomes.

Description

Taft College offers 37 degrees and certificates 19 to accommodate students’ vast interests of an openenrollment community college.

Additionally, special areas of study and degrees such as Petroleum

Technology and Industrial

Technology are offered to reflect locally appropriate vocational need.

Furthermore, a variety of student services and population specific needs have been identified, and programs have been created, sustained, and successfully improved to meet them. Many of

Taft College’s programs cater to diverse populations and students of low income.

The college has developed and now offers several unique programs that correspond directly with local demographics.

Standard II

The Transition to Independent

Living (TIL) program has been operating since 1995.

20 The program has had enormous success in helping adults with developmental disabilities transition to an independent life in the workforce and the home. As of

2007, 95% of its graduates are living independently upon completing the program.

21 Taft

College officials learned of this local need through neighboring

Kern Regional Center and its many clients. Since its founding, the Taft disAbilities Partnership Team 22

(TAPT), a student services operated committee with faculty

has and local representation, 23 provided insight into the development and continuing improvements of the program which is becoming a national and international model.

24

Taft College offers distance learning courses offline, and many of these courses are taken by inmates of the neighboring Taft

Correctional Institute (TCI). This partnership between institutions led to the refinement of the distance education program to provide educational opportunities to inmates.

There are other unique programs at Taft College and includes the textbook rental program and gas voucher program. The textbook rental program allows students to rent many of their course texts at

10% to 20% of the cover price.

The gas voucher program offers


Standard II students residing more than five miles from Taft College the opportunity to receive a $100 gas voucher disbursed in two installments. Both of these programs are mechanisms to accommodate student financial need.

Identification of student need occurs regularly through internal and external scans. Additionally, new technology in the form of the

Banner database system has already started to improve this process.

Internal scans at Taft College include the Community College

Survey of Student Engagement

(CCSSE) 25 and course persistence and success rates. The CCSSE is used to gauge student satisfaction about the learning environment.

Survey results are given to division chairs, administration, and

Planning Council. The results are incorporated into program review

(see Self Study Section II.A.2.c).

Course enrollment and success rates have been generated annually since 2002 by the


Research, and Planning (IAR&P)

Office.

26 These reports are disseminated to faculty to assist in assessing student need as a component of program review.

27

Faculty analyze student data during program review to identify student needs and create action plans to address them.

25

Several types of external scans are used to evaluate student need.

Recently, the Rural Opportunities

Study Grant 28 was implemented.

Advisory committees, which include members of local industry, provide periodic analysis and recommendations for course and program changes. O*Net’s occupational data collection program is frequently used to identify current competencies and skills desired in the workplace course objectives.

29 which are often incorporated into

Taft College received a Rural

Opportunities Study Grant.

Through this grant, demographics of the service community and labor market information for the surrounding areas have been thoroughly researched by the

Madrid Consulting Group. In 2008, they completed their report.

Highlights from this exhaustive study have been presented to the

Planning Council. A summary report, derived from the master study, was distributed to division chairs through the planning website in spring of 2009, to inform planning, augment program review, and guide program development as locally needed.

Self-Evaluation

This standard is met. The efforts of the college to ensure that programs offered are appropriate to community needs are robust and multi-faceted. In keeping with

Education Code sections 70901


26

(b); 70902 (b); 78601 and Title 5, sections 51000; 51022; 55100;

55130; and 55150 Taft College’s

Board of Trustees demands ―The programs and curricula of the

District shall be of high quality, relevant to community and student needs, and evaluated regularly to ensure quality and currency.‖ 30

Planning Agenda

None. b. The institution utilizes delivery systems and modes of instruction compatible with the objectives of the curriculum and appropriate to the current and future needs of its students.

Description

Distance learning began at Taft

College in the late 1990s.

Originally designed as a way to meet the needs of students whose schedules prohibited them from attending face to face classes, the current success of the distance learning program is found in the very high number of students who enroll in distance learning sections

(see Figure 12 on page xxvii). In the fall 2008, enrollment in distance learning sections exceeded enrollment in face-toface sections.

To determine if a distance learning section meets the objectives and content of a course, the Curriculum and General Education Committee

Standard II reviews a completed Distance

Learning Curriculum Guidelines form prior to authorizing any course as distance learning.

31 The form requires that discipline faculty clearly describe the means by which the proposed course meets objectives and content.

Additionally, the form requires that discipline faculty indicate how the rigor of the course will be maintained in the alternative mode of delivery.

Distance learning classes are evaluated by the same process as face to face classes (see Self Study

Section II.A.1.a). Comprehensive evaluations of instructional faculty by fellow faculty, administration, and students ensures evaluation and feedback are provided.

Distance learning sections undergo program review concomitantly by their division affiliation and face-toface section counterparts.

At present, the distance learning coordinator has helped establish a system for online course delivery at Taft College through the ―easy to use distance education software‖

(Etudes) platform which requires a unique log-in for students as a way to authenticate student identification and approve course access. A proctor approval process 32 exists at Taft College to assist in the authentication of students’ identities, as do proctored exams that distance learning students can take in the library.


Standard II

The Distance Learning Coordinator,

Patti Bench, works with all divisions to develop their distance learning offerings. She provides guidance, expertise, and resources to assist instructors in creating and refining their distance learning courses. She is fully accessible to all faculty and works with them one-on-one throughout the semester as needed.

Self-Evaluation

The standard is met. Approval of distance learning classes consistent with Taft College’s mission; course offerings online, offline, and face to face; and the efforts of the distance learning coordinator and faculty culminate in delivery systems and modes of instruction compatible with the objectives of the curriculum and appropriate to the needs of students.

Planning Agenda

None. c. The institution identifies student learning outcomes for courses, programs, certificates, and degrees; assesses student achievement of those outcomes; and uses assessment results to make improvements.

Description

Prior to 2007, Taft College faculty, divisions, and programs worked

27 independently on the creation and assessment of student learning outcomes (SLOs). During 2004 and

2007, training sessions on campus were given by Darlene Pacheco and

Mary Allen, 33 and various faculty members brought back information from conferences to shape the early efforts of identifying and assessing SLOs at Taft College.

Taft College faculty began writing

SLOs at the course level in 2002.

In the 2007-2008 academic year, a set of institutional SLOs was drafted, revised, and finalized through an ongoing discussion of the Academic Senate and through division meetings. These five institutional SLOs articulate the desired outcomes of a student who will graduate with any degree or certificate from Taft College.

The Social Sciences division created a set of division-wide SLOs in 2006.

34 Discussions about SLOs led the faculty in the division to participate in a shared assessment for evaluating writing in APA style for many courses in the division.

Faculty adjusted their teaching methods and assignments to promote consistent and greater outcomes based upon their assessment results.

Along similar lines but with greater specificity, Taft College’s science department collaboratively created

―course packs‖ that are used by all science instructors. For each unit of instruction, specific learning objectives, which correspond


28 directly with units of instruction, are identified in the course packs.

The Liberal Arts division held a day-long retreat focusing on writing SLOs in January of 2008.

Knowing that assessment data is more useful when collected in a centralized location, eLumen, 35 an online software platform for managing assessment data, was purchased in 2006 with Title V grant funds.

Student services has taken a lead on campus in developing and assessing SLOs. A component addressing SLOs is part of student services Handbook for Student

Services Program Review .

36

Student services has established a timeline for creating SLOs for all of their programs by 2011. In 2007, faculty from student services met for two hours a day for several months until they had articulated

SLOs and assessments for four of their programs and aligned the

SLOs with the college’s institutional

SLOs. However, a site visit from the Chancellor’s Office, which included an evaluation of the SLOs, led student services to revise their initial set of SLOs to make them more manageable. In October of

2008, faculty in student services worked with the SLO coordinator to address the recommendation. As of the time of this writing, student services continues to revise their initial SLOs.

In the 2007-2008 year, Taft

Standard II

College’s Academic Senate, administration, and Board of

Trustees created and approved the college’s first student learning outcomes coordinator position. The

SLO coordinator officially began his duties in the fall of 2008. Since then, several major changes have occurred which have promoted dialogue, awareness, practice, and improvement for the college in the area of student learning outcomes.

Course level SLOs are being revised so that they are measurable and manageable, since many of the original SLOs were too difficult to measure. The new process for revising SLOs begins with a dialogue between faculty who teach the same course.

Learning objectives on Course

Outlines of Record are brought into the discussion. Initial SLOs are created by the group and then reviewed and ultimately approved by the SLO coordinator. Final approval is made when the assessments are built into the course SLO and after the new course SLOs are aligned with institutional SLOs.

37 Approved

SLOs are posted on both the syllabi and the Taft College SLO web page. Two inservice trainings on writing and revising measurable

SLOs have been conducted by the

SLO coordinator: one in fall 2008 and another in spring 2009.

Since the primary flaw with many of the college’s original course level

SLOs was that they were not assessable, the college launched a new program to train faculty in


Standard II assessment strategies. In its current form, the program’s goals are to familiarize faculty with assessment of SLOs, provide faculty experience assessing SLOs, create dialogue about best practices, integrate assessment of

SLOs fully into the campus culture, compile evidence for accreditation, and promote and improve student learning outcomes without compromising high standards. This program, Taft College’s SLO

Assessment Team, occurs every semester.

SLO Assessment Team participants attend six hours of group training.

The training materials are adapted from many sources, but primarily draw on Janet Fulks’ Assessing

Student Learning in Higher

Education .

38 Each semester , participants in the SLO Assessment

Team identify one SLO to evaluate in their course or program. Then, participants conduct an assessment of the SLO, collect data, interpret the data, and suggest improvements to increase the learning outcome. Each participant creates an individual assessment report of one SLO and shares the report with his or her division. The reports are posted on the Taft

College SLO webpage.

To date, 23 individual assessment reports have been created by the

Summer and Fall SLO Assessment

Teams. Every semester the focus of the training changes to reflect campus wide progress. The focus has gone from ―Connecting SLOs

29 with Assessment,‖ to ―Making

Assessment More Comprehensive,‖ to ―Authentic Assessment‖ (see

Self Study Preface). In the spring of 2009, the college began its third

SLO Assessment Team, made up of

12 new participants drawn from diverse sectors of campus.

The program has made a great impact on the college campus to include greater faculty awareness and involvement in assessments.

The sharing of assessment reports by participants has prompted more instructors to join subsequent teams. Additionally, and perhaps most importantly, assessment reports have led to specific improvements in courses as a direct result of faculty reflecting on their own assessments.

Another new facet of Taft College’s

SLO culture is the new Taft College

SLO webpage. The webpage has three main functions: publicly posting SLOs for students, acting as a living repository of SLOs, and providing training resources in assessment for faculty.

In January of 2009, statewide

Academic Senate representatives

Janet Fulks and Sue Granger-

Dickson conducted a one hour inservice training on authentic assessment at a Taft College

Academic Senate meeting.

39 Like the rest of the state, Taft College is immersed in a sea of major change. Many faculty now understand the meaning of assessing SLOs, and many see the


30 benefits of doing so. The authentic assessment presentation was held to provoke faculty to consider the validity of their existing assessments. Authentic assessment is the focus for the spring 2009 SLO Assessment

Team.

As course SLOs continue to be written and revised, and as faculty begin to document and improve their assessments, Taft College is turning its attention towards making progress in its weakest area of student learning outcomes, program SLOs. Although the

Applied Technology division and the English and Psychology departments have taken it upon themselves to write program SLOs, until very recently there was no timeline or campus-wide basis for establishing and assessing program level SLOs. Indeed, Taft College’s transformation has been taking place on the level of course SLOs which has been the priority to date. However, in January of 2009, a new proposal to incorporate evaluation of program level SLOs into program review was brought to the Planning Council and to the divisions. In February of 2009, this proposal was adopted by the

Academic Senate. The logic behind evaluating program SLOs in program review is that this process not only establishes a timeline for each program to complete their initial program SLOs, but also provides an avenue through the program review process to evaluate both the effectiveness of

Standard II the program SLOs and their assessments, and also to request additional resources. The SLO coordinator works with divisions in advance of their program review to help establish program SLOs, and as a result of the SLO Assessment

Teams, every division now includes at least one member who has been trained in assessing SLOs.

Self-Evaluation

In 2002, student learning outcomes were added to many of the Course Outlines of Record for

Taft College courses. This effort was led by faculty with a minimum of training in writing SLOs and little experience in the assessment of

SLOs. However well-meant their efforts, faculty at Taft College were only beginning to understand the nature, intention, and value of assessing student learning outcomes. Consequently, many of the SLOs added to Course Outlines of Record beginning in 2002 were not, by nearly any reasonable definition, SLOs. In some cases, the initial SLOs were more like learning objectives. In other cases, the SLOs were lists of content areas. Due to the ongoing and robust dialogue on campus about

SLOs, the focused leadership and modeling by the SLO coordinator, several inservice work sessions, and with the initiative of members of the SLO Assessment Teams, new course level SLOs which are measurable, manageable, and reflect the course content from the perspective of multiple instructors


Standard II are now in place. This progress is continuous with SLOs at the course level being revised any time instructors of a given course see the need. Revisions to course SLOs continue to occur as the result of local assessments and training.

Additionally, Taft College’s original course SLOs were stored on official

Course Outlines of Record. Since the spring of 2008, the vice president of instruction has required that faculty publish the

SLOs in their course syllabi.

Inservice work sessions for revising

SLOs and faculty’s efforts to revise and create new SLOs have led to more than seventy original or revised SLOs. In each case, the course SLOs include a listing of current assessments and are aligned with the institutional SLOs.

The SLO webpage is a repository for the most current SLOs, and allows faculty to revise their SLOs or add assessments without adding the SLOs to the Course Outline of

Record or sending the Course

Outline of Record through the


Committee with every minor change.

The current focus on quality and measurability of the new SLOs has been more meaningful than the previous emphasis on the quantity of immeasurable SLOs originally created.

Since 2002, Taft College has made significant progress in the assessment of student learning

31 outcomes. SLOs have been written at the course, program, and institutional levels. Assessments of student learning outcomes have led to improvements in instruction.

Faculty, administration, and the board have played an active role in the discussion of and allocation of resources for the development of

SLOs and assessment of SLOs.

Planning Agenda

None.

2. The institution assures the quality and improvement of all instructional courses and programs offered in the name of the institution, including collegiate, developmental, and precollegiate courses and programs, continuing and community education, study abroad, short-term training courses and programs, programs for international students, and contract or other special programs, regardless of type of credit awarded, delivery mode, or location. a. The institution uses established procedures to design, identify learning outcomes for, approve, administer, deliver, and evaluate courses and programs. The institution recognizes the central role of its faculty for establishing quality and improving


32 instructional courses and programs.

Description

All courses are created, drafted, and approved through the


Committee. Faculty take the lead role in suggesting changes, writing course outlines, and identifying learning objectives within them.

Additionally, these documents are reviewed and authorized by a team of faculty members, the vice president of instruction, and the vice president of student services.

Taft College’s Articulation Officer, who is also the chair of the


Committee, compares courses with

IGETC and CSU transfer requirements and sends the proposed course outlines to the

Chancellor’s Office for further review and approval (see Self

Study Report Section II.A.1).

Individual courses are evaluated through program review and instructor evaluations, both being faculty-driven processes.

Self-Evaluation

The standard is met. Faculty members are at the heart of the existing processes for creating, delivering, and evaluating courses.

Additional improvements at the course level are manifested through the suggestions contained in completed individual assessment reports of student learning

Standard II outcomes documented by members of the Taft College SLO

Assessment Teams (see Self Study

Report Section II.A.1.c).

Areas for improvement include determining the quantity of and timing for reviewing Course

Outlines of Record, and the full integration of individual assessment reports into the campus culture so they have life beyond the Taft College SLO

Assessment Teams.

Planning Agenda

None. b. The institution relies on faculty expertise and the assistance of advisory committees when appropriate to identify competency levels and measurable student learning outcomes for courses, certificates, programs including general and vocational education, and degrees. The institution regularly assesses student progress towards achieving those outcomes.

Description

The processes of program review, peer evaluation, and course approval through the Curriculum and General Education Committee are all faculty driven. Additionally, the new student learning outcomes coordinator position, begun in fall


Standard II of 2008, is a position held by a faculty member to assist the entire campus community in the creation and assessment of student learning outcomes and assessments that can be used to improve the learning outcomes.

In 2002, discipline appropriate fulltime faculty began writing SLOs using a scrutiny of the Course

Outlines of Record and a consensus among instructors as a basis for their work. As time went on, it became clear that many of the

SLOs on Course Outlines of Record were too extensive 40 to be measured or aligned with program and institutional goals. In an effort to make the SLOs more measurable and to assure the appropriateness of the competency levels indicated, full-time faculty participated in an inservice workshop ―Revising Taft College’s

SLOs,‖ 41 during August inservice,

2008. Instructors culled through course outlines, existing course

SLOs, and models of course SLOs from other California community colleges to begin refining and revising course SLOs. This process continues under the guidance of

Taft College’s SLO coordinator.

Course outlines begin the revision process when discipline appropriate full-time faculty work together to identify the SLOs. Drafts of course

SLOs are created and reviewed by full-time faculty in the appropriate discipline. The drafts are then sent to the SLO coordinator. The SLO coordinator reads the SLOs and

33 evaluates their clarity and alignment with institutional SLOs.

When the SLO coordinator has questions or concerns, the course

SLOs are sent back to the discipline appropriate faculty. Once the questions are addressed and a consensus is reached, the revised

SLOs are published on the Taft

College webpage.

42 This process assures dialogue and clarity.

Faculty is sensitive to the needs of the local community and work collaboratively to identify competencies that include appropriate measurable student learning outcomes. Excellent examples of this process can be found in the new Management

Certificate program that has been developed by Taft College in direct response to their Business Advisory

Committee recommendations for the program.

The Dental Hygiene program also has a close working relationship with their advisory board 43 and now has an exemplary program.

Self-Evaluation

While faculty drives the creation of

SLOs, the SLO coordinator stands at the critical juncture of approving them for clarity and institutional alignment. The Academic Senate 44 is currently exploring the possible configuration of a SLO committee to act as a subcommittee of the


Committee. The SLO subcommittee and the Curriculum and General


34

Education committee would work together to review and approve

SLOs.

45

The campus dialogue about competency levels continues to expand as seen in the Academic

Senate votes in February and

March of 2009 to approve a new program review template, a revision 46 based on Mary Allen’s program review and SLO assessment materials. Components in this template are intended to provoke faculty to align program

SLOs with course SLOs and to identify areas for improvement.

Since this template has only just been adopted, it must be implemented into program review, and consideration of the merits of its components should be considered carefully by the

Planning Council to ensure that its use will be meaningful.

The semester-based SLO

Assessment Teams have succeeded on many levels to include linking direct summative assessments— sometimes authentic—to specific

SLOs, gathering data, and using this information to implement changes at the course level.

47

Participants of the Taft College SLO

Assessment Teams are required to share their individual assessment reports with their divisions.

48

Importantly, the Administration,

Academic Senate, and the Faculty

Association have authorized the continuation of Taft College semester-based SLO Assessment

Teams through spring of 2010.

Standard II

This is a transitional effort with one of its goals being the full integration of assessment of SLOs into all aspects of the campus culture.

At present, what is lacking (and what the college may not be ready for), is an evaluative component of the assessments themselves.

Although the results are published on the Taft College SLO webpage and shared with faculty, our learning community would benefit by establishing a review body for the completed assessment reports that would suggest improvements and act on them.

Another challenge for the college will be to maintain the momentum in assessment that the SLO

Assessment Teams have started.

The SLO Assessment Teams are slated to end in fall 2010. There is no mechanism or procedure in place to perpetuate the dialogue and energy initiated by them.

Planning Agenda

None. c. High-quality instruction and appropriate breadth, depth, rigor, sequencing, time to completion, and synthesis of learning characterize all programs.

Description

Taft College relies upon program review, approval of courses


Standard II through the Curriculum and

General Education Committee, the

Community College Survey of

Student Engagement (CCSSE) data, Accountability Reporting for

Community Colleges (ARCC) data, and annual persistence, enrollment, and success rates data by course section generated by the

IAR&P Office to ensure high quality instruction, appropriate depth, breadth, rigor, sequencing, time to completion, and synthesis of learning for all programs. Faculty, division chairs, and committee members use these data and channels in a continuous effort to improve the quality of courses, programs, and instruction.

An exemplary program at Taft

College is the Dental Hygiene program which had a 100% program completion rate in 2008 and has averaged a 96% program completion rate for the last seven years.

49 Additionally, in 2006,

100% of its graduates found work in their field and 78% in 2007.

50

The analysis of program relevant data by dental hygiene faculty and its collaboration with its advisory board has contributed to the quality of this outstanding program.

51

Taft College’s process of program review allows divisions time to evaluate course offerings, course success rates, and enrollment trends to make action plans for improvement.

52 Divisions use data provided by the IAR&P Office to complete their program review.

35

Taft College began participating in the CCSSE in 2007. The survey provides direct feedback from students involving their perception of their own learning experiences.

The coordinator of Institutional


Planning distributed this invaluable information to division chairs and the planning council for their consideration as they develop a strategic plan to monitor outcomes.

The ARCC data were also distributed to division chairs. In

March of 2009, a discussion in

Division Chairs Meeting led to the formation of a task force charged with the task of investigating the implications of the report’s results.

53 Additionally, Taft

College’s English as a Second

Language (ESL) coordinator has initiated a collaboration effort with the science department to use the

ARCC data to improve outcomes for ESL students in sciences.

54

Self-Evaluation

Since fall of 2001, when Taft

College’s coordinator of


Research, and Planning began his tasks at the college, the

Information Technology (IT)

Department had been handling data reporting tasks as mandated by the Chancellor’s Office. Since then, the faculty has become educated about the role of data in decision making as it applies to the improvement of courses and


36 programs. Enrollment, persistence, and success data generated by the

IAR&P Office have been used to benefit the college’s courses and programs. At present, what is important is that divisions use the

ARCC data and CCSSE data to continue to inform their decisions for improving courses and programs.

Planning Agenda

None. d. The institution uses delivery modes and teaching methodologies that reflect the diverse needs and learning styles of its students.

Description

Taft College collects data to bolster resources and foster innovative teaching methods that cater to diverse learning styles. Learning styles are assessed through instruments administered by student services and the distance learning program. Faculty evaluations and inservice opportunities also provide data.

Additionally, the use of computers and multimedia in the classroom address diverse learning styles.

Taft College students are given opportunities to reflect on their own learning styles, and diligent faculty create multi-layered curriculum and design learning encounters to make student learning outcomes accessible for all

Standard II of the college’s diverse student population.

A key resource used in Taft

College’s student success program is the Monitored Academic

Probation Program (MAPP). A critical component in this program is the Learning and Study

Strategies Inventory assessment

(LASSI). MAPP students participate in the LASSI assessment to help them identify their own learning styles and areas of weakness, and then to develop academic strategies that will help them succeed. In the summer of 2008, a

MAPP counselor participated in Taft

College’s first SLO Assessment

Team. One component of her contribution was a detailed, datadriven evaluation of MAPP success by using LASSI data as a component of a multiple-step assessment helping students identify barriers to their own academic success leading to a plan to overcome their barriers.

55

The distance learning coordinator at Taft College has incorporated a learning styles inventory into the online orientation for distance learning students.

56 As with the

LASSI test, this component provokes students to identify their own learning styles and capitalize upon them to assist in their academic progress.

The faculty evaluation procedure requires faculty to evaluate how they incorporate their own learning styles into their teaching and also


Standard II requires peer faculty to evaluate the degrees of incorporation of learning styles by the faculty member under evaluation.

57

Taft College’s inservice schedule provides faculty with several days of professional development in advance of the spring and fall semesters. The Professional

Development Committee works to help select presenters to conduct workshops and training on matters relevant to pedagogy. These presentations have often included the topic of learning styles.

58

Additionally, faculty can elect to participate in three more days of inservice for salary advancement at the beginning of summer. The topics of these workshops are also developed by the Professional

Development Committee around identified campus need. This summer, in addition to offerings in student learning outcomes and web design, faculty elected to participate in the ―Technology

Academy,‖ a training that gave participants hands-on training in multiple technologies designed to bolster learning for visual, aural, and kinesthetic learners.

The use of computers in

59 classrooms and hands-on labs, as appropriate to curriculum needs, gives students opportunities to learn by seeing, hearing, and doing. A primary example of this is the use of Tablet PCs by the math faculty as a tool for ongoing formative assessment. Many


37 instructors use Tablet PCs to facilitate formative assessments in the classroom. Instructors such as

Brian Jean use the Tablet PC to assess competency of the class on a specific concept or objective prior to a summative assessment.

Tablets PCs allow math instructors to share the entire class’ anonymous answers and use them as a springboard for clarification, guidance, and critique. Tablet PC use has been so successful that they became a featured part of

Taft College’s presentation on SLOs

―Seeing is Believing: Chain

Reactions in Assessment‖ at the

WASC Academic Resource

Conference on April 16, 2009.

60

Self-Evaluation

The standard is met. Through resources provided to students, training opportunities for faculty, and evolving technology in the classroom, Taft College appeals to the diverse learning styles of today’s student.

Planning Agenda

None. e. The institution evaluates all courses and programs through an on-going systematic review of their relevance, appropriateness, achievement of learning outcomes, currency, and future needs and plans.

38

Description

Program review is completed by divisions in a six year cycle. Career and Technical Education programs, such as secretarial science, are required by the Chancellor’s office to complete a program review every two years. Program review includes an analysis of course enrollment and success data in order to make action plans to improve the programs and course offerings in the future.

A new element of program review is the incorporation of SLOs, as approved by the Academic Senate in February of 2009. Since 2003, at the urging of administration, many faculty have woven SLOs into program review in various ways.

Liberal Arts program review for

2005 includes action plans to identify new SLOs; the Math and

Science program review from 2007 includes action plans listed to help the division contribute to the establishment of Taft College as a

―Learning College.‖

Taft College’s SLO coordinator, using existing training materials designed by assessment expert

Mary Allen, created a new addition to the Taft College Program Review template. The new template includes a listing of program SLOs and their assessments, a data area reflecting completed SLO assessments, a matrix for aligning course SLOs with program SLOs, and a space where resources needed to implement data driven

Standard II improvements can be identified and requested. This new design creates a unified mechanism for interpreting assessment data, requesting resources, and accommodating the incredible shift in instructional practices as they relate to student learning outcomes that have taken place at Taft

College over the last several years.

Self-Evaluation

The incorporation of data into program review has begun to assist faculty in identifying important aspects of the student experience that relate to the quality and modes of delivery of courses and programs. The adoption of the new SLO template for program review by the

Academic Senate is a major milestone, but it has yet to be implemented in a program review.

The Planning Council also wants to improve and use program review to augment planning, to prioritize budget requests and to further meld the planning and budgeting processes. At the moment, Taft

College has made incredible progress with these challenges over previous years and is moving in the right direction.

Unfortunately, the task of linking program review clearly to planning has been hampered by the prioritized tasks of improving Taft

College’s own institutional strategic planning process. Currently, this process is underway and with the help of Datatel, a new strategic


Standard II planning process that links budget with planning, the allocation of resources requested through program review by faculty who are committed to improving Taft

College’s programs will become better facilitated.

Planning Agenda

None. f. The institution engages in ongoing, systematic evaluation and integrated planning to assure currency and measure achievement of its stated student learning outcomes for courses, certificates, programs including general and vocational education, and degrees. The institution systematically strives to improve those outcomes and makes the results available to appropriate constituencies.

Description

The focus of program review has always been the improvement of course offerings as aligned with the college mission. Only as recently as

March of 2008 have SLOs formally been adopted as a component of program review (see Self Study

Sections II.A.1.c and II.A.2.e). As such, their effectiveness in program review for integrated planning has yet to be tested.

39

Self-Evaluation

As the campus continues to improve its program review, evidenced by recent changes to program review process approved by the local Academic Senate, attention to completed assessments of program SLOs should be also be considered by the Planning Council. Since the

Planning Council itself is currently revising its strategic planning process (see Self Study Section

I.B.2), Taft College’s Institutional researcher has brought models of strategic plans which focus on outcomes and program review to the table for discussion. These can be found on the planning

61 website.

Although Taft College has made some progress in this area, as is also the case with SLOs, it is imperative that the Academic

Senate, Planning Council, divisions, and the campus at large take carefully selected steps toward integrating evaluation of program outcomes into planning. At present, with the exception of a few programs such as dental hygiene, the development of outcomes assessment is still too new to be applied to the fullest of its potential in Taft College’s evolving area of planning. g. If an institution uses departmental course and/or program examinations, it validates their effectiveness in measuring student


40 learning and minimizes test biases.

Description

To maintain academic freedom, instructors in various disciplines use different evaluations and assessment methodologies to meet shared learning objectives dictated by the Course Outline of Record.

Science faculty have worked together to review exams.

Although many instructors have shared and discussed rubrics with one another, shared departmental course and/or program examinations are uncommon at

Taft College.

Self-Evaluation

Academic freedom dictates that methods of evaluation and testing should be at the discretion of individual faculty. While the Course

Outline of Record for a given course determines the learning objectives and scope of a course, instructors draw from various means of evaluation to promote and evaluate learning as is appropriate in specific contexts and across multiple levels of SLOs.

Planning Agenda

None. h. The institution awards credit based on student achievement of the course’s stated learning outcomes.

Units of credit awarded are

Standard II consistent with institutional policies that reflect generally accepted norms or equivalencies in higher education.

Description

Grading criteria are published generally in the Taft College

Catalog, and specifically on instructors’ syllabi. Additionally,

Taft College has articulation agreements with many California

State Universities (see Self Study

Section II.A.1).

With the robust dialogue about student learning outcomes that has occurred over the last several years, more and more instructors have begun to adopt rubrics to more clearly delineate their expectations for student work.

62 In individual assessment reports completed by faculty, course SLOs have been aligned with institutional

SLOs through a specific documented assessment. The completed reports include a description of the evaluation instrument specific to the SLO being assessed. The use of rubrics is an integral part of training for

SLO Assessment Team members.

Self-Evaluation

Although Taft College has used fair grading practices to evaluate student performance for a long time, the relationship between student learning outcomes and assessment as an improvement of


Standard II this principle has only been recognized in a productive way since summer of 2008 when the

Taft College Assessment teams began. Although SLOs had been articulated as early as 2002 for courses, assessment as a means of improvement and accountability was not clearly linked to the outcomes themselves at Taft

College prior to this, except in isolated instances and through the

Social Sciences division shared student learning outcomes project.

As a result of the work of the Taft

College Individual Assessment

Teams, an awareness of the value of assessing student learning outcomes and the practice for doing so has spread across much of the college. The challenge before the institution now, surely to be clarified by the new work being done in program SLOs, is to integrate assessment of SLOs fully into the institutional culture by determining which SLOs to assess, when to assess them, and by whom.

Planning Agenda

None. i. The institution awards degrees and certificates based on student achievement of a program’s stated learning outcomes.

Description

Certificates and degrees are

41 awarded based on successful completion of courses within a program, as described in the catalog. Fair and accepted practices of evaluation govern when a student successfully passes a course (see Self Study Section

II.A.2.h). General education requirements for associates degrees are designed to encompass communication, mathematics, modes of inquiry, cultural consciousness, and ethical issues.

63 These core competencies helped inform the local Academic

Senate’s decision to approve Taft

College’s institutional student learning outcomes (see Self Study

Section II.A.1.c).

The use of program SLOs and their assessments at Taft College is in its infancy. Career and Technical

Education, in its program review of secretarial science, has been the first division to articulate program

SLOs as part of its program review.

Additionally, the Early Childhood

Education program has adopted the shared program and course

SLOs of the statewide California

Community Colleges Early

Childhood Education (CCC/ECE) alignment program.

A three day inservice during summer of 2009, was conducted at

Taft College with the express purpose of articulating program specific assessment plans with program SLOs.

The institution has historically awarded certificates and degrees


42 based on student completion of courses necessary for the certificate or degree. Many of the courses involved in various programs have completed assessments for course level SLOs through individual assessment reports, but program level SLOs have not been specifically assessed since most program SLOs have yet to be written.

Self-Evaluation

Taft College began its SLO work at the course level, so specific outcomes from assessments have not yet been linked to programs.

The institution recognizes the importance of using assessments of SLOs for programs, as evidenced by the adoption of program SLO mapping in program review. The three-day summer inservice session for 2009 focused on writing program SLOs and assessment plans, and gave programs a starting point—the identification of program SLOs and their appropriate assessments.

Planning Agenda

None.

3. The institution requires of all academic and vocational degree programs a component of general education based on a carefully considered philosophy that is clearly stated in its catalog. The institution, relying on the

Standard II expertise of its faculty, determines the appropriateness of each course for inclusion in the general education curriculum by examining the stated learning outcomes for the course. General education has comprehensive learning outcomes for the students who complete it, including the following: a. An understanding of the basic content and methodology of the major areas of knowledge: areas include the humanities and fine arts, the natural sciences, and the social sciences.

Description

The college general education requirements are determined by

Title 5 of the California Education

Code 64 and implemented by the


Committee of the Academic

Senate. Faculty within the disciplines help to determine the current content and methodology of the general education areas. All general education courses are regularly reviewed by the


Committee to ensure that students are introduced to the content and theoretical base of the discipline and to methods of inquiry in that field. The Curriculum and General

Education Committee ensures that current and relevant content and


Standard II methodology are maintained in all general education courses by notifying departments through the

Office of Instruction when their course outlines have not been reviewed in the most recent five years.

Presently, SLOs are not listed in some of the course outlines; however, the sections ―Objectives‖ and ―Methods of Evaluating

Student Performance‖ on the course outline require students to understand the basic content and methodology in the major areas of knowledge. The Curriculum and

General Education Committee reviews the objectives on the course outlines to ensure that they meet general education requirements. The Curriculum and

General Education Committee information can be found on the

Taft College intranet.

Taft College employs a rigorous process for course approval for all new and revised courses in meeting the parameters outlined in the general education philosophy adopted by the institution. New courses and course reviews begin with a discussion and approval at the department level. The course outline is then reviewed by the articulation officer who ensures that it is in compliance not only with the college general education requirements for the A.A./A.S. degree, but also with the requirements determined by transfer institutions. The outline, proposal, and general education

43 forms are then reviewed by the cochair of the Curriculum and

General Education Committee and by the Office of Instruction. The following information is provided for each course:

1.

Course number, title, units, and hours

2.

Prerequisites and/or corequisites

3.

Catalog description

4.

Course objectives

5.

Instructional facilities necessary

6.

Special materials required of student

7.

Course content

8.

Method of instruction

9.

Methods of evaluating student performance

10.

Outside-class assignments

11.

Texts: suggested, required, and supplementary.

This institution specifies intended comprehensive outcomes as course objectives, which are to be measured by the documented methods of evaluating student performance. Student achievement data obtained through faculty assessments and institutional research is accessible.

Self-Evaluation

This standard is partially met. Taft

College does have a general education philosophy in its catalog which is used by faculty and compliance committees to guide academic and vocational program development around general


44 education requirements. Faculty originate new courses and lead course reviews. Further, discipline content and methodology are expressly provided in course proposals and course outlines through the use of the general education form.

Even though this process is thorough and produces courses with objectives, these are not the same as SLOs. Taft College is currently working to put SLOs into all courses and to install an SLO culture into its course origination and review procedure.

Planning Agenda

None. b. A capability to be a productive individual and life long learner: skills include oral and written communication, information competency, computer literacy, scientific and quantitative reasoning, critical analysis/logical thinking, and the ability to acquire knowledge through a variety of means.

Description

Through the general education program, Taft College students are exposed to learning experiences that promote the likelihood that they will become productive individuals and lifelong learners.

Among the skills they are expected

Standard II to achieve are those in oral and written communication, information competency, computer literacy, scientific reasoning and quantitative analysis, critical inquiry, logical thinking, knowledge acquisition, and information synthesis. Students completing the general education program meet or exceed competence (a grade of C or better) in oral and written communication, scientific and quantitative reasoning, critical inquiry, and logical thinking.

Students also may demonstrate competence through credit by examination, credit by the College

Level Examination Program (CLEP), or submission of Advanced

Placement (AP) scores.

Additionally, competence is established by successfully completing at least 30 units of general education courses in disciplines including language and rationality, natural sciences, humanities, social sciences, and physical education, plus the local graduation requirements of health education and information competency.

Associate degree students must complete a minimum of 30 units of general courses as outlined in Self

Study Section II.A.3.a. Through consistent assessment, updating course outlines every five years, and program reviews every six years, the college ensures that students obtain the expected skill levels that are clearly delineated in course outlines. For decades, Taft

College has expected programs to


Standard II undergo systematic, rigorous program review, a process which seeks out, in part, consistent assessment. In addition, for two years the college has engaged in dialogue and is implementing student learning outcomes to strengthen both the student objectives and the assessments of achievement. Departments are working towards identifying program-level and course-level

SLOs to ensure that all general education students obtain competency in these graduation requirements.

Students can be assured they will meet the required collegiate skill level as identified in course outlines when they are successful in their coursework. This assurance is in place due to the course development and review process consistently used at the college.

Course outlines must show a match between objectives and methods of evaluating student performance with content, indicating that students learn content and achieve course objectives through effective methodology. Assessments listed on course outlines must indicate how students will meet these objectives. The Curriculum and

General Education Committee handbook provides guidelines for writing course objectives.

65

Self-Evaluation

It is believed that the college meets this standard. The skills and knowledge bases described in this

45 standard are consistently woven into course offered at Taft College.

A strong review process helps to maintain the integrity of these across the years. As SLOs continue to be added to courses, the opportunities for enhancing these skills and knowledge bases will increase. Furthermore, Taft College actively seeks to create ―habits of the mind‖ in its students that not only serve them well as students, but also are strong foundations for continuing scholarship and productivity in whatever career paths they elect.

Planning Agenda

None. c. A recognition of what it means to be an ethical human being and effective citizen: qualities include an appreciation of ethical principles; civility and interpersonal skills; respect for cultural diversity; historical and aesthetic sensitivity; and the willingness to assume civic, political, and social responsibilities locally, nationally, and globally.

Description

Through its general education program, Taft College endeavors to educate its students about ethics, citizenship, interpersonal relations, cultural diversity, historical and aesthetic values, and assumption


46 of responsibilities in a global society. The college has a lengthy history of educating students in these areas through teaching to course objectives and assessing student performance in achieving the objectives. Over the past two years, through regular staff development activities, departmental meetings, and a variety of Academic Senate meetings, Taft College has engaged in dialogue to establish student learning outcomes (SLOs) at the course and institutional levels; institutional SLOs (ISLOs) proposed by the Academic Senate include ISLOs focused on developing a productive and ethical citizenry.

Courses in the general education requirements are specifically designed to instill knowledge and critical understanding of ethics and effective citizenship. In humanities and social sciences, students may choose from a variety of courses in philosophy, humanities, crosscultural studies, political science, history, sociology, and psychology, among others that emphasize cultural competence, democratic values, ethical choices, and personal responsibility.

Self-Evaluation

Taft College meets this section of the standard. Ethics, interpersonal skills, tolerance, and social engagement are all espoused by the college. Many courses, including some across the

Standard II disciplines, contain some or all of these components. Through repeated exposure to these hallmarks, students are likely to embrace these ideals. As SLOs continue to be developed and refined, the evidence will increase to show strong substantiation of

Taft College’s efforts in this important area.

Planning Agenda

None.

4. All degree programs include focused study in at least one area of inquiry or in an established interdisciplinary core.

Description

Title 5 of the California Education

Code requires the completion of a minimum of 18 units in a major area of focused study, and the completion of a minimum of 18 units of general education courses in specific areas, and a total of 60 units of study before an associates degree may be conferred. Taft

College's 2008-10 catalog also lists certificates of proficiency, completion, and achievement which are based on focused areas of study with the requirements for each listed in the catalog.

Before an associates degree is awarded, the student must demonstrate competence in reading, written expression, and mathematics. Furthermore, general


Standard II education requirements must include a minimum of work in the natural sciences, the social and behavioral sciences, humanities, and language and rationality.

District policies and procedures regarding general education and degree program requirements are stated in the college's catalog 66 and are also filed with the

California Community College

Chancellor's Office.

The curriculum is divided into three main divisions:

1.

Lower Division Transfer

Curricula

2.

Occupational Curricula

3.

Certificate Programs

Taft College's catalog lists the majors and class offerings to meet each of the divisions listed above.

Self-Evaluation

This standard is met by the college and is amply shown by the many program listings and requirements outlined in the college’s catalog.

Planning Agenda

None.

5. Students completing vocational and occupational certificates and degrees demonstrate technical and professional competencies that meet employment and other applicable standards and are prepared for external

47 licensure and certification.

Description

The Taft College catalog contains descriptions of degrees and certificate programs in both transfer and career technical programs. It also contains descriptions of courses and the number of courses required to complete each degree or certificate program. Detailed descriptions of courses can be found in course outlines on the campus network.

Course outlines provide appropriate information pertaining to learning objectives and outcomes, pre-requisite requirements, skills and knowledge level expectations, methods of evaluation and instruction.

Taft College's career and technical education certificate and degree programs prepare students for employment and preparation to meet certain certification or licensure requirements in their chosen field of study. Specifically, the Dental Hygiene, Automotive

Technology, and Welding programs prepare students for external certification and licensure.

The Dental Hygiene program includes rigorous academic and clinical requirements that allow students to earn an associate degree and to take the Committee on Dental Auxiliaries (COMDA) of the Dental Board of California examination to earn the Registered

Dental Hygienist (RDH)


48 professional designation. This program is accredited by the

Commission on American Dental

Association.

67

Automotive technology also prepares students to take the industry recognized Automotive

Service Excellence (ASE) certification to become a certified automotive technician.

The Welding program prepares students to earn industry certifications in several types of welding.

Early Childhood Education is another program that prepares students with the professional competency foundation required by the industry. The program utilizes the California Child Development

Matrix 68 to prepare students to be employed as assistants, associates, teachers, and master teachers in child development programs.

Aside from the external certification and licensures, career and technical education programs at the college also receive good counsel and advice from experts in their fields by way of advisory boards which also craft recommendations for programs.

Advisory boards are composed of business and industry representatives, community partners, college administration, faculty, and students. The expert recommendations and input from businesses and community partners help to direct the actions

Standard II of the college to ensure that its programs are meeting industry needs in professional and skill competencies.

69 Taft College currently offers 14 certificates of completion in career and technical education fields of study. Students are awarded certificates based on their completion of required course work.

Self-Evaluation

The section of the standard is partially met. Taft College is preparing students for employment competency and licensure. The Taft

College Dental Hygiene program is one of the most successful and popular programs on campus. The success rate of students passing the state licensure requirements is significantly high (close to 100 percent).

70 Given such, job placement of graduates is also close to 100 percent. The success of the program is due in part to program director, staff, faculty, and college administration.

Taft College continuously works to enhance its career and technical education programs as a way to increase student readiness for external certification and for meeting professional competency standards. In the spring of 2008,

Taft College developed a plan to guide its activities in career and technical education over the next five years.

71 Part of the plan calls for increased efforts and commitment by:


Standard II

Reviewing and adapting curriculum to meet industry and occupational standards;

Providing students with access to faculty in occupational programs with industry certification and experience. This would include on-going professional development for faculty in vocational and occupational programs;

Updating equipment and facilities to ensure it meets technology, industry practices and professional competency standards;

Incorporating specific work experience and internships into the programs of study;

Including courses in professionalism such as: time management, conflict resolution, values & ethics, communication, customer service, attitude, and others, in needed areas of study;

Revamping advisory boards to play a larger role in providing expert recommendations and input on curriculum, job placement, occupational requirements, and resources;

Utilizing program reviews and data to continuously assess the applicability of courses to industry and business needs.

Planning Agenda

Each division and the Planning

Council will carry out an annual

49 review to consider and allocate resources as needed.

72

The Planning Council will ensure the implementation of the plan for career and technical education.

Program reviews for vocational and occupational programs will be conducted every two years.

Planning Council will utilize program reviews to determine priorities, opportunities, and commitment to career and technical education programs.

Planning Agenda

None.

6. The institution assures that students and prospective students receive clear and accurate information about educational courses and programs and transfer policies. The institution describes its degrees and certificates in terms of their purpose, content, course requirements, and expected student learning outcomes.

In every class section students receive a course syllabus that specifies learning objectives consistent with those in the institution’s officially approved course outline.

Description

Information about educational


50 programs and transfer policies is contained in the Taft College

Catalog and Student Handbook . As changes occur, addendums to the catalog are prepared and posted on the college website. This catalog is given to all students during orientation and is available anytime upon request. The college website 73 provides links to the handbook, the class schedule, departmental details, faculty information, and specific program information.

The purpose, content, and course requirements for degree and certificate programs are listed in the catalog and on the college website. The college is in the process of listing expected learning outcomes on the officially approved college outlines, which are housed in the Office of Instruction.

Instructors provide course syllabi to students on the first meeting of their courses.

Self-Evaluation

This section of the standard is partially met. The college is on a two year cycle to update and produce its catalog. A committee consisting of student services staff, faculty, and administration review each section of the catalog and make recommendations for changes before publication. When courses and programs are changed or new ones approved through the


Committee, the instructional office

Standard II prepares an addendum to the catalog. The addendum is posted on the college website for immediate access and to provide clarification for current changes.

Student learning outcomes are being addressed through division meetings, Planning Council meetings, and the Academic

Senate. Institutional level outcomes have been approved to guide future program and course level outcome development. As result of many discussions, the college agreed to develop a part time student learning outcomes coordinator position which was filled in the fall of 2008.

Planning Agenda

The college has hired a student learning outcomes coordinator who has begun the processes needed to develop, implement, and assess student learning outcomes at Taft

College. The coordinator has already begun the arduous task of changing the pedagogy at the college by actively facilitating dialog among faculty about teaching, student learning, and the improvements of the student learning process. The process of developing student learning outcomes is in place, the coordinator actively assists faculty with aligning course outcomes with institutional level student learning outcomes, part of the initial phase in for SLOs. The campus conversion to SLOs continues as the SLO coordinator develops and


Standard II holds training sessions for faculty and staff on how to align program and instructional level learning outcomes. Currently underway are training sessions focusing on assessing SLOs and using data from assessments to change student learning in the classroom.

More sessions are planned to continue Taft College’s march towards an SLO learning culture. a. The institution makes available to its students clearly stated transfer-ofcredit policies in order to facilitate the mobility of students without penalty. In accepting transfer credits to fulfill degree requirements, the institution certifies that the expected learning outcomes for transferred courses are comparable to the learning outcomes of its own courses. Where patterns of student enrollment between institutions are identified, the institution develops articulation agreements as appropriate to its mission.

Description

Transfer policies are listed in the

Taft College Catalog and Student

Handbook . Degree and certificate educational plans, general education, and Intersegmental

General Education Transfer

Curriculum (IGETC) are posted on the Taft College website and updated as changes occur. Copies

51 of transfer requirements are easily found in the lobby of the counseling and advising area by visitors.

Expected learning outcomes for degree and certificate programs are stated in course outlines, which are on file in the Office of

Instruction. Instructors provide course syllabi to students in their courses. The college indentifies program outcomes through descriptions in the catalog.

Recruitment materials are designed to make the public aware of program outcomes, and the public is informed about programs and requirements through the college orientation process, the college website, and advertisements and marketing processes.

Self-Evaluation

This section of the standard is partially met. Taft College accepts transfer credit from various sources including work completed at other accredited colleges, via the College-Level Examination

Program (CLEP), in the military, and as a part of the Advanced

Placement program of the College

Entrance Examination. This acceptance is clearly outlined in the Taft College Catalog and

Student Handbook (pages 19, 20, and 23.)

In the case of articulating course work from other institutions, academic counselors and advisors work with course evaluators to


52 compare those courses with courses taught at Taft College to determine equivalency. If a course is from an out of state institution or private school, the academic counselor and advisor seeks information from the subject instructor, division chair, the

Academic Policies and Procedures

Committee, and uses the catalog description from the institution the course was originally taught to make a determination of equivalency. If equivalency is not apparent, a formal process is in place to request acceptance of courses from other colleges.

Advisors and counselors complete a petition, present supporting documentation, obtain appropriate signatures, and present the form to the Academic Policies and

Procedures Committee for approval.

The Taft College articulation officer is currently assigned 50% articulation and 50% Title V activities. The college has also entered into articulation agreements with most California

State Universities and the

University of California. In addition,

Taft College has agreements with many independent colleges and universities such as University of

Laverne, University of Phoenix,

National University, and with one out-of-state university, North

Central University in Prescott,

Arizona. The articulation officer is responsible for coordinating general education requirements and major requirements with


Standard II baccalaureate institutions and submitting and updates to its general education and IGETC courses. A part of her work is to keep faculty and student services staff advised of all articulation agreements as well as what needs to change if agreements change or new courses are not approved.

These agreements are published in the catalog (pages 32 through 37) and are posted on the college website and are available through

Project Assist, the California articulation database, which can be accessed through the college website.

74 Courses which have been accepted for transfer to the

CSU and/or UC systems are indicated in the catalog and schedule of classes.

Planning Agenda

The articulation officer is working with discipline faculty to align majors and courses with the CSU lower division transfer patterns.

This work is expected to be completed by December 2009. b. When programs are eliminated or program requirements are significantly changed, the institution makes appropriate arrangements so that enrolled students may complete their education in a timely manner with a minimum of disruption.

Standard II

Description

Taft College ensures that courses required for majors or certificates are offered to facilitate the achievement of student goals in a timely manner. Courses that often have low enrollments are cycled into the schedule every other semester or at least every other year to ensure that his goal is met.

This scheduling process is a combined effort of departmental faculty, counseling and advising staff, book store personnel, and the vice president of instruction.

Before a program is eliminated, department chairs must obtain approval through the Curriculum and General Education Committee.

This committee is comprised of faculty from each division, the articulation officer, the vice president of instruction, and student services representatives.

Every section of the committee must review the program elimination plan before its approval takes place.

Self-Evaluation

This standard is met. Taft College makes every effort to ensure that all students in discontinued programs are able to complete their education in a timely manner with a minimum of disruptions. If program requirements are changed, or a program eliminated,

Taft College advisors and counselors proactively work to make accommodations for students

53 who are adversely affected by the change. Minimum enrollments in courses are often waived in order to accommodate students who need the course.

Taft College also demonstrates its dedication to providing students opportunities to achieve their educational goals by providing flexibility in scheduling of courses.

Planning Agenda

None. c. The institution represents itself clearly, accurately, and consistently to prospective and current students, the public, and its personnel through its catalogs, statements, and publications, including those presented in electronic formats. It regularly reviews institutional policies, procedures, and publications to assure integrity in all representations about its mission, programs, and services.

Description

Taft College strives for clarity, accuracy, and consistency in all representations made to its constituencies, the public, and prospective students. The college provides information about services, programs, and policies through its website, handouts, recruitment materials, the class


54 schedule, Taft College Catalog and

Student Handbook , press releases,

Public Information Committee.

Posters 79

75 advertisements, specific program brochures.

76 and

77 All publications are approved by the

78

and brochures highlighting student services are kept on display in high studenttraffic areas.

Self-Evaluation

The college meets all the requirements of this standard. The college catalog is the primary source of information for students and the community. The catalog is published in print form, as well as in electronic form, and posted on the Taft College website.

Information is also provided in the fall, spring, and summer class schedules. The catalog is produced jointly by the Office of Instruction and by Student Services, and the production is normally based on a two-year publication cycle.

Addendums are made periodically through the year to list current changes. Revisions are sought from those areas responsible for each of the primary sections of the catalog. In print form, the catalog is not sold, but is made available free at various locations oncampus, such as the reception desk, registration, library, and the

Office of Instruction. The college’s website also hosts a copy of the college catalog which can be viewed at anytime by the public.

Online, internet-based application

Standard II and registration procedures have been implemented and were developed out of the input provided by the Web Registration

Task Force, whose membership includes a wide range of student services, information technology, administrative, and college support staff. From the pilot study that was conducted six years ago and a subsequent evaluation, the online web application and registration procedures were revised to make the process more student-friendly.

In 2007, the web coordinator resigned and relocated out of the area. The college decided to upgrade the position to a full webmaster position, and through advertising and interviewing, selected a candidate. Since his arrival, the Taft College website has undergone another major update in content, format, and color scheme. The college catalog is now posted in pdf format and is linked from the main web page.

These recent changes have greatly increased the amount of information presented on the web site and considerably improved its usefulness.

Additionally, the Public Information

Committee, under the leadership of the vice president of student services, plans and directs periodic announcements and advertising campaigns. These items appear in local media such as radio, TV, newspapers, and community periodicals.

In the past few years, Taft College


Standard II has effectively gotten its message out to the community through mass media. These include newspapers and periodicals such as the Bakersfield Californian , Taft

Midway Driller, Taft Independent,

West Side Living Magazine, and

Reed Print . Local radio stations are also used and include KISV 94.1

FM, KELLY 95.3, KRAB, KUZZ, and

KBFX. In addition, Taft College makes announcements on cable TV

(Bright House Networks),

Screenvision, and National

Cinemedia, which runs the announcements in local movie theaters.

Recognizing the increasing number of Spanish-speaking residents in the community, Taft College has been responsive to this communication need by utilizing

Spanish language TV stations such as Telemundo and Univision, and

Spanish radio stations Lobo,

Concierto, KIWI, KPSL, KWAC, and

KCHJ. In addition, Taft College has placed announcements in Mercado

Nuevo , a Spanish publication. A typical announcement contains course offerings and student support services available such as bi-lingual staff members being ready to assist potential students by providing additional information and answering their questions.

All Taft College announcements are handled through the Public

Information Committee which is charged with coordinating and ensuring the integrity and accuracy of college publications.

55

The board policies of Taft College are updated as necessitated by revisions in federal and state regulations, external and internal changes, and periodic policy reviews. New and revised policies are approved by the board and copies of new or revised polices are distributed to the college campus and made available to the community.

Planning Agenda

Efforts to review institutional policies, procedures, and accurate publications will continue.

7. In order to assure the academic integrity of the teaching-learning process, the institution uses and makes public governing board-adopted policies on academic freedom and responsibility, student academic honesty, and specific institutional beliefs or worldviews. These policies make clear the institution’s commitment to the free pursuit and dissemination of knowledge.

Description

Board Policy 4030, Academic

Freedom, was originally adopted and made public in 1967.

80 This policy statement is published in the faculty handbook which is distributed to all full-time and adjunct faculty members.

81 Board

Policy 5500, Standards of Conduct,


56 was approved and made public in

2003.

82 To date, no policy concerning an institutional worldview has been adopted.

Self-Evaluation

Board Policy 4030 contains language supporting academic freedom in research, teaching, and learning. It also contains limitations and guidelines regarding academic freedom and controversial material. Board Policy

5500 addresses the student code of conduct including academic dishonesty.

Based on the public nature of these policies and the strength of the language within them, Taft College believes it has met this section of the standard.

Planning Agenda

None. a. Faculty distinguish between personal conviction and professionally accepted views in a discipline. They present data and information fairly and objectively.

Description

Board Policy 4030 addresses this issue. The policy states: ―The instructor is entitled to freedom in the classroom in discussing his/her subject, but he/she should be careful not to introduce into his/her teaching controversial matter

Standard II which has no relation to his/her subject.‖ Clearly, the policy allows instructional members to present professional views contained within their discipline. It is expected that faculty members will follow all board policies.

Self-Evaluation

Taft College believes it has met this section of the standard because of strong recourse procedures available to students.

Students who believe class content is presented with a personal bias or believe they are subject to intimidation as a result of expressing their opinions have recourse through the Student

Grievance Policy and through the faculty evaluation process.

Planning Agenda

None. b. The institution establishes and publishes clear expectations concerning student academic honesty and the consequences for dishonesty.

Description

Board Policy 5500 addresses the issue of academic honesty. Policies regarding academic honesty and the sanctions for violating that policy are clearly communicated to students. These policies and procedures are located in the student handbook section of the


Standard II college catalog under the following headings:

Academic Honesty

Standards of Student Conduct

Student Grievance Policy

These policies and procedures are also available as hyperlinks on the internet via the Taft College website on the Administration &

Campus Policies link.

Many classroom faculty also publish syllabi for courses that contain statements of academic honesty at the course level.

Self-Evaluation

Expectations regarding academic honesty and consequences for dishonesty are provided to students through a number of sources in both print medium and the web. An informal poll indicates that almost all faculty members include academic honesty policy statements in class syllabi along with penalties for violating that policy. No stone seems to be unturned in Taft College’s approach to getting this important message about expected academic integrity out to its learning community, so this section of the standard is met.

Planning Agenda

None. c. Institutions that require conformity to specific codes of conduct of staff, faculty,


57 administrators, or students, or that seek to instill specific beliefs or worldviews, give clear prior notice of such policies, including statements in the catalog and/or appropriate faculty or student handbooks.

Description

Taft College is a public, nonsectarian institution and makes no attempt to instill specific beliefs or world views.

Self-Evaluation

The college meets this section of the standard.

Planning Agenda

None.

8. Institutions offering curricula in foreign locations to students other than U.S. nationals operate in conformity with standards and applicable Commission policies.

Description

Taft College does not operate any overseas programs.

Self-Evaluation

This section of the standard does not apply to Taft College.

58 Standard II

Planning Agenda

None.

____________________________________________________________

Students, faculty, staff, and community members enjoy food and drinks at the annual Taft College Welcome Back day.

____________________________________________________________


Standard II

B.

Student Support Services

The institution recruits and admits diverse students who are able to benefit from its programs, consistent with its mission. Student support services address the identified needs of students and enhance a supportive learning environment. The entire student pathway through the institutional experience is characterized by a concern for student access, progress, learning, and success.

The institution systematically assesses student support services using student learning outcomes, faculty and staff input, and other appropriate measures in order to improve the effectiveness of these services.

1. The institution assures the quality of student support services and demonstrates that these services, regardless of location or means of delivery, support student learning and enhance achievement of the mission of the institution.

Description

The mission of Taft College is a commitment "to student learning in transfer and vocational programs supported by pre-collegiate basic skills and wide range of student services.‖ Based on the educational needs of the students, each area within Student Support Services provides a wide range of services.


59

Taft College serves a wide range of students from various socioeconomic strata, who hail from multiple cultural backgrounds, bring with them different educational levels, and have a variety of personal and educational goals. Student Support Services have devised programs to address this diverse student population.

In the fall of 2008, the new

Student Services and

Administration building was completed. Now each service area within Student Support Services is under one roof establishing a "onestop" for the students resulting in improved efficiency of service availability and delivery for the students.

Taft College is student-focused and collectively strives to create a positive college experience for its students. Departments within

Student Services meet regularly to discuss, and revise as necessary procedures that will ensure student access to services. Student

Support Services evaluates their programs following guidelines that meet federal and state regulations and recently completed a program review by the California

Community College's Student

Service & Special Programs

Division in March, 2008.

83

Taft College offers the following student support areas and services:

60

Counseling & Matriculation

Orientation

Assessment

Academic Standing

(probation, disqualification, etc.)

Evaluations (transcript evaluations, course substitutions, graduation evaluations, etc.)

Early Alert

MAPP (for students on probation)

Student Success workshops

Financial Aid workshops

Access to distance learning

Veteran's Administration counseling

Supplemental Instructional

Assistants

Math lab

Writing lab

Title V Gold program

CalWORKS (California Work

Opportunity and Responsibility to

Kids)

Counseling

Job placement

Recruitment

Child care

DSPS (Disabled Students Programs and Services)

Counseling

Training for access and use of high tech accommodations

Cognitive Assessments

Summer Bridge program

Tutoring

Student Appreciation Dinner

Transition to Independent

Living Program

Best Buddies Program

Standard II

Special Olympics

Liaison between instructors and students

Community education

Telephone access and support to online students

EOPS/CARE (Extended

Opportunities Programs and

Services/Cooperative Agencies

Resources for Education)

Counseling

Peer tutoring

Recruitment and outreach to local high schools

Bilingual counselor

Admissions and Records

Financial Aid

Center for Academic Support

& Assistance (CASA)

Placement testing

English as a Second

Language (ESL) placement testing

Self-Evaluation

The college is sensitive to the needs of the growing diverse population the college serves. As such, and in keeping with its mission statement, college staff reviews all student services’ departments annually and revisits the adequacy of its outreach efforts, application and orientation materials, website, and resources available to our non-native English speaking population on an annual basis. In response to an identified need in the community, Student

Services created an on-campus orientation program in Spanish.

84


Standard II

The Matriculation Committee continues to make efforts to translate online orientation information into Spanish. The coordinator of counseling and matriculation is working in collaboration with the CASA office to develop the bilingual orientation in Spanish and English. Beginning in April 2008, Taft College implemented CCCApply to process admission applications, which is now available in Spanish.

85 Finally, a full-time assessment coordinator and testing specialist position was created, approved, posted, and filled in September 2008. A dedicated area for a permanent assessment center is currently under discussion.

DSPS works interdepartmentally to inform and assist with disabilityrelated issues and alternative media services. DSPS is represented on major college committees and regularly provides invaluable input regarding accessibility issues identified around the campus community.

Evidence of their effectiveness can be found in presentations delivered during the inservice schedule 86 from Kern County Mental Health, the DSPS counselor, and learning disabilities (LD) specialist that have increased faculty awareness of federal and state laws as they relate to accommodations and equal access to curriculum. A statement 87 was sent by the LD specialist to faculty requesting the statement be placed on each syllabus stating that assessments

61 and accommodations are available to students that believe they may have a learning disability and/or need accommodation to complete the class. Furthermore, outreach endeavors with the local high schools are continually revised to ensure students with disabilityrelated issues have a smooth transition to college. Lastly, DSPS staff members are working to increase the accessibility of the

High Tech Center at the college.

CalWORKs is dedicated to increasing student access by identifying potential CalWORKs students not yet receiving services.

In addition, this section works with the Department of Human Services

(DHS) to help with the all of the services provided by DHS and helps cover the mandatory hours that are required by the department.

EOPS/CARE provides activities to

CARE students. They are updating their website in an effort to increase awareness and access to potential eligible students. EOPS provides community outreach to local high schools.

Veterans Assistance (VA) is available to any student who qualifies for these services. After a qualified student completes the paperwork required by the

Department of Veterans Affairs, an educational plan 88 can be created by the VA counselor at Taft

College. The VA counselor works with the Admissions and Records

Office to house appropriate records


62 and verification files.

Taft College participates in federal and state financial aid programs to assist low-income student access to college. Financial Aid is available to qualified students through such programs as Federal Pell Grants,

Federal Supplemental Educational

Opportunity Grants, Federal

Educational Loan programs,

Federal Work Study, Cal Grant, and the Board of Governor’s Fee

Waiver. Aid is awarded through the

Financial Aid Committee.

89

Additionally, various businesses, private individuals, and college organizations award scholarships.

90

Supplemental instructional assistants (SIAs) are available in the Clubhouse where they offer unlimited, free tutoring in all academic areas and assist instructors in various academic classes. SIAs must have a minimum of an associates degree and most have bachelors degrees.

Writing Lab/Tutoring: The writing lab offers free, unlimited tutoring.

Assistance crosses the spectrum starting with basic writing and grammar and extending out to research papers and database research skills.

Taft College utilizes a math lab where students enjoy unlimited, free tutoring in all areas and levels of math. This tutoring is supervised by instructors and peer tutors.

Standard II

Planning Agenda

While it is believed the college meets this section of the standards, Student Support

Services will continue to update their orientation program. Once completed, CASA will make this available in Spanish.

2. The institution provides a catalog for its constituencies with precise, accurate, and current information concerning the following: a. General Information

Official Name, Address(es),

Telephone Number(s), and

Web Site Address of the

Institution

Educational Mission

Course, Program, and Degree

Offerings

Academic Calendar and

Program Length

Academic Freedom

Statement

Available Student Financial

Aid

Available Learning Resources

Names and Degrees of

Administrators and Faculty

Names of Governing Board

Members b. Requirements

Admissions

Student Fees and Other

Financial Obligations

Degree, Certificates,

Graduation and Transfer c. Major Policies Affecting


Standard II

Students

Academic Regulations, including Academic Honesty

Nondiscrimination

Acceptance of Transfer

Credits

Grievance and Complaint

Procedures

Sexual Harassment

Refund of Fees d. Locations or publications where other policies may be found

Description

Taft College uses various methods to ensure accurate and current information is available for potential and current students. The college catalog, schedule of classes, Taft College website, program flyers, and brochures are the main resources used to document programs offered, admission policies, graduation requirements, academic policies, refund policies, student conduct standards, and complaint and grievance procedures.

Taft College’s Catalog and Student

Handbook is reviewed and updated every two years to include a calendar of the academic year. It is also updated with addendums as needed. Taft College makes every reasonable effort to ensure that the information is accurate and is available in alternate formats.

Catalogs are available free of charge and are given to students who participate in orientations.

63

They are available in the Student

Services and Administration building, CASA office, library,

WESTEC, TCI, and the North Kern

Training Center. It can be found online, too. The catalog is also distributed to local and area high school counselors and transfer centers.

Taft College provides on-campus and online orientation for newly matriculating students. The online orientation is made available in alternate formats to accommodate distance learning students and the different levels of technology used by students. Both on-campus and online orientations provide students with basic information regarding admission requirements, the matriculation process, student responsibilities, academic policies, fees, and refund policies. During the orientation program, Taft

College’s various programs are introduced and information is provided to the students on where to contact the various program departments for specific details.

The class schedule is made available in written format and online prior to the start of registration.

The student handbook is located in the back of the catalog. It also is available online and in an alternate format.

Access to admission procedures and online registration is available, using dedicated computer stations


64 in the Student Services and

Administration building, allowing prospective and current students to access policies and procedures online. Staff is available to assist students.

Self-Evaluation

Taft College uses various methods to ensure accurate and current information is available for potential and current students. The college catalog, schedule of

91 Taft College website, classes, program flyers, and brochures are the main resources for documenting offered programs, admission policies, graduation requirements, academic policies, refund policies, student conduct standards, and complaint and grievance procedures.

Planning Agenda

DSPS will develop a faculty handbook that provides information on DSPS, the state and federal laws that govern the rights of students with disabilities, suggestions and tips on teaching students with disabilities, various accommodation strategies, and rights of faculty.

Taft College will design a program to interface with either Banner or

CCCApply that will provide an automated process for providing student's mailing and telephone information to each program and service department to facilitate information dissemination.

Standard II

3. The institution researches and identifies the learning support needs of its student population and provides appropriate services and programs to address those needs. a. The institution assures equitable access to all of its students by providing appropriate, comprehensive, and reliable services to students regardless of service location or delivery method.

Description

The College assures equitable access to all of it students regardless of their native language, evening/weekend students, students attending summer or intersessions, distance educa n students, students who seek online counseling support, students with disabilities requiring accommodations, at risk students, special admit students, students with financial needs, and students needing childcare.

Due to changes in technology and delivery methods, the focus of the college’s efforts has shifted dramatically. The institution has always been committed to increasing student access, progress, learning, persistence, and compliance and continues to do so by providing appropriate, comprehensive, and reliable services to students.


Standard II

Self-Evaluation

The college provides equitable and quality support services to advance the educational opportunities of all students regardless of services location or delivery method and meets the requirements of this section of the standard.

Specifically identified services available to assist students include: face-to-face, phone, online and offline (for distance learning students at TCI, WESTEC, or out of state) and on-campus assessment

(for non-credit ESL courses and credit courses), orientation, counseling and follow-up services available in English and Spanish such as graduation checks, probation and dismissal status, undecided majors or goals; a textbook rental and buyback program available to both ground and online students.

The newly remodeled Student

Services and Administration building houses the Admissions and

Records Office which honors online requests and offers Spanish and

English applications available online through CCCApply. The building also houses EOPS/CARE,

DSPS, CalWORKs, Financial Aid,

Job Placement, a High Tech Center with assistive technology, a LD specialist and staff, Counseling

Center with LASSI online, and a

Career and Transfer Center 92 featuring online access to Vault

Library, Eureka, College Central

Network, college catalogs, and

65 links to colleges. Student Services operates from 7:00 am – 5:00 pm and services are also available through the college website.

Student Services uses facilities in the library to provide 61 hours per week of tutoring for students and math and writing labs staffed with faculty and assistants. Students can also utilize, free of extra charges, the library’s website and databases by obtaining a password to access library resources off campus.

Adjacent to the Student Services building is the recently restructured CASA (Center for

Academic Success and Assistance)

Office, providing bilingual advising,

Tutoring, Title V Grant Services, and supplemental instructional assistants. Their extended office hours are an outreach effort for evening students. CASA operates from 8:00 am – 9:00 pm.

The Childcare Center is the largest single-site childcare facility in the

California Community College system. These childcare services are of tremendous assistance to those students with childcare needs, and the center plays a big role in helping students be able to attend college.

Taft College has implemented

DegreeWorks, a tool to help students monitor their educational degree plan. SARS-ALRT, an electronic early alert system used by faculty to contact counseling


66 staff over potentially failing students, has also been implemented.

Taft College recently completed a student services program review.

It gathered not only information relating to access, progress, and success, but also compared categorical programs and its students with all students at Taft

College. The data have not been fully analyzed at this time.

Planning Agenda

It is vital to Taft College’s success that it continue to modify, adapt, and revise face-to-face, phone, online, offline, video, and paper formats of materials and services to ensure all students have equal access to the most up-to-date, appropriate, comprehensive, and reliable services regardless of service location or delivery method. To accomplish this daunting task, Taft College plans to develop a survey to evaluate student services and administer it each semester. It is expected that its analysis will provide powerful and useful insight needed to inform decisions for change on the campus. b. The institution provides an environment that encourages personal and civic responsibility, as well as intellectual, aesthetic, and personal development for all of its students.

Standard II

Description

Taft College supports several clubs and organizations to promote community service, individual growth and philanthropic activities designed to enrich and enhance the college experience. Currently, seven clubs and organizations operate on campus: Phi Theta

Kappa, Psychology Club, Cougar

Echo/Journalism Club,

International Club, Best Buddies,

Associated Student Body/Student

Council, student committee shared governance assignments, and athletics. Several clubs, classes, and grant programs on campus engage students in field trip activities. For example, the

Psychology Club attends and presents at the annual Western

Psychological Association

Conference. Art History students take trips each semester to visit the Getty Museum. Geology students travel to the Mojave

Desert. Astronomy students travel to the Griffith observatory.

EOPS/CARE and Title V cohorts visit colleges across the state to promote their transferability, and they promote cultural and civic awareness through various activities such as visiting Hearst

Castle, Los Angeles area museums and business conferences.

Student representatives appear on the majority of campus committees and opportunities for their participation have been well publicized; however, many students are unable to attend on a


Standard II regularly. Due to ever increasing demands on their time and with traveling, many Taft College students find it difficult to participate in shared governance opportunities.

An increasing emphasis on enhancing non scholastic student activities to improve student involvement has been taking place at the college. During the recent construction, attention was given to add a fully equipped student lounge and recreation room complete with a centralized ASB office. A newly created student activities coordinator position further enhanced the program and the delivery of services. Newly constructed areas in the library welcome students and provide a hospitable atmosphere. The clubhouse, writing lab, and math lab—tutorial centers on campus— continue to provide safe and supportive environments for students to study.

The library development team made a recommendation to develop information competency courses which has been done. They also recommended the integration of virtual and on-campus resources to enhance the scientific and quantitative reasoning process required in most transferable level courses. This is an ongoing project.

The remodeled Administrative and

Student Services building functions as a ―one-stop center‖ where any student can complete the

67 matriculation process and finalize any other administrative details.

Contained within one building are

Counseling and Matriculation

Services, EOPS/CARE, CalWORKS, veterans’ services, Student

Services, DSPS, Admissions and

Records, cashier, and Financial Aid.

Counselors and advisors assist students not only with their educational plans, designation of majors, course selections, transfer preparations, graduation planning, career searches, referrals to other services, personal and crisis counseling, but also help them learn study skills and select effective retention strategies.

Special services provide eligibility assistance and additional services based upon students’ individual needs such as supplemental tutoring, tuition, supplies, accommodations, and registration assistance.

Taft College is home of the acclaimed Transition to

Independent Living (TIL) program, the national model for similar programs soon to be developed around the world. This program transitions adults with intellectual disabilities into the community by engaging them in the college experience and simultaneously teaches them life skills and techniques for self advocacy.

Currently, there are four similar programs in the country, and TIL is the most notable because its residential component, highly effective curriculum, and competent staff set it apart. The


68 learning community is enriched by the TIL students working alongside traditional college students in a variety of on- and off-campus activities to create a warm and inclusive atmosphere. The Best

Buddies program pairs traditional college students with TIL college students to develop a friendship that are often life-long and lifechanging. With a two to four year waiting list and a plan for expansion on the near horizon that includes a new administrative building and dormitories, Taft

College anticipates TIL program will achieve more growth and success.

Self-Evaluation

Taft College offers high quality instructional programs, student services, tutorial services, supplemental instructional assistance, and learning support services. The college provides an enriching environment with an emphasis on appreciating diversity, and civic, ethical, intellectual, and personal development.

Taft College is committed to providing instructional and extracurricular programs that promote personal development of its students. Considering the smaller size of Taft College, it has a large variety of academic courses, programs, and activities that foster civic responsibility and personal growth and awareness. These programs also enhance the student’s awareness and

Standard II understanding of diversity. Taft

College believes it meets the requirements set forth in this section of the standard.

Planning Agenda

None. c. The institution designs, maintains, and evaluates counseling and/or academic advising programs to support student development and success and prepares faculty and other personnel responsible for the advising function.

Description

Taft College hires qualified and competent leaders, faculty, and staff to develop, administer, and oversee its student service programs. Currently, there are six full-time counselors, four full-time advisors, and one adjunct counselor. With a spirit of collaboration, student centeredness, and support, Taft

College has a higher than average counselor to student ratio of approximately 1:230 which affords strong student service programming, frequent interactions, and strong support efforts for students to set the college apart from others in the region.

Full-time counselors pursue professional development courses and programs for salary


Standard II advancement, personal, and professional development. Training opportunities on and off the campus are provided and include conferences, webinars, seminars, workshops, and monthly staff trainings. Several student services representatives serve on the campus-wide SLO project, Planning

Council, Curriculum and General

Education Committee, and also carried a teaching load.

Counselors are on a 10, 11, or 12 month faculty contract. Advisors are on a 12 month classified contract. Service hours and days are staggered to enhance availability throughout the year to include coverage for summer and winter sessions.

Since the matriculation coordinator is also the coordinator of counseling, matriculation works intensively with counseling to create and implement programs that target academically at risk or undecided students. Distance learning students receive the same counseling resources available to on-campus students through collaborative efforts between the coordinator of counseling and matriculation and the coordinator of distance learning. Timely updates on the website to reflect accurate registration, assessment, and orientation dates for distance learning students continue to be a priority.

Counseling services available in a distance learning format serve

69 probationary students who can complete Monitored Academic

Progress Probation (MAPP) requirements 93 and correctional center inmates. The LASSI learning modules are available in English and Spanish. One bilingual academic advisor is assigned to the correctional facility for 21 hours a week to provide advising services for local inmates.

Matriculation supports career exploration as a way to increase retention and help undecided students find direction. Information for undecided students is available online, including career information from the Vault library and Eureka.

Matriculation collaborates with individuals overseeing the Title V grants and with the Office of

Instruction and provides online counseling support to distance education students. A Virtual

Transfer and Career Center utilizing video presentations is under development. Discussions exploring on-campus workshops using online formats continue.

Although students can contact and work with counselors and advisors through e-mail, a newly designed counselors and advisors web page is being developed to better serve remote students. Phone appointments are also available through the year to promote personalized interactive relationships between counselor and student. Students whose primary language is Spanish are referred to the CASA Office for


70 counseling and advising services, help with admissions, orientation, assessment, and registration.

Students are served by two bilingual academic advisors and two bilingual counselors.

Matriculation contributed to the college's technological progress when it recently purchased Degree

Works, a degree audit and educational planning program that interfaces with Banner, the college student administration and demographic database. This program creates degree audits to chart educational paths and can also model different majors. The program monitors requirements, scans the schedule of classes for the best choices, and constructs an individual student education plan for enrollment management. Once tested by counselors and advisors, these services will be available online for student use.

Para-professionals, locally known as academic advisors, are trained to answer general questions about academic requirements, certificate requirements, transfer, and the requirements for the associates degree. Additionally, academic advisors refer students to any other office on campus as needed.

Considered an essential part of the overall counseling function, these individuals attend all training meetings, provide valuable insight into office operations, and conduct special events such as outreach and remote placement testing.

Academic advisors also assist

Standard II students with developing student education plans and semester schedules. All educational plans are reviewed by a counselor.

Taft College designed, currently maintains, and regularly evaluates the following counseling and advising programs to support the general student population, special groups, and targeted populations:

California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids

(CalWORKs)

Extended Opportunity

Programs and Services

(EOPS)

Matriculation

Veterans’ Services (VA)

Distance learning services

Student Support Services

(SSS/DSPS)

Transfer Center


(SSS/DSPS)

The SSS program at Taft College is dedicated to finding and providing efficient, effective, and accessible information and reasonable accommodations to students with disabilities. A full-time learning disability (LD) specialist and a parttime assistant work to expedite the assessment process; 94 students begin and complete the entire assessment process during the same semester they apply for testing. Taft College has gone above and beyond by offering unlimited tutoring, learning skills classes to foster success, and a


Standard II

Summer Bridge program 95 to promote self-advocacy.

Transition to Independent Living

Program

The Transition to Independent

Living (TIL) program is a two year, post-secondary educational program for young adults who have developmental disabilities that is funded by the Department of Developmental Disabilities through the regional center system. The TIL program employs four full-time certificated faculty and focuses on the acquisition of skills necessary for independent living. The content of the training is comprehensive, including vocational skills, independent living skills, basic academics, social skills, and transition components.

Currently, 48 students are enrolled. First-year students reside in the campus dormitories.

Second-year students reside in the community and attend the program during the day.

SSS and CASA Summer Bridge

Programs

The Summer Bridge is a two to four week program designed to acclimate new SSS and first time incoming freshman students to the college environment. Both programs emphasize and promote basic self advocacy skills, assistive technology training, classroom etiquette, organization, time management, study skills, and strategies for student success.

71

Students receive assistance with educational planning, short-term and long-term goal planning, and their basic English and math skills.

CalWORKs

Taft College’s CalWORKs program offers comprehensive support services such as child care assistance, book vouchers, developmental skill remediation, financial aid assistance, job placement assistance, work-study opportunities, career development and education, and student success development.

Taft College currently uses

CalWORKs and Temporary

Assistance for Needy Families

(TANF) funds to provide service coordination, work-study opportunities, job development, job placement, additional referrals to financial aid, children’s center, and career services center. Funds are disseminated each semester to provide learning kits, which include basic school supplies, book vouchers, and flash drives. During the past six years, 152 students were served.

96

EOPS

Taft College offers a variety of programs to assist economically and educationally disadvantaged students. EOPS provides qualified students with additional services and support to assist them in achieving their educational goals.

The program also connects


72 students with instruction and provides services to support retention including a celebratory awards luncheon at the end of the year. Several students are invited to participate in the peer mentor program where they provide additional support to their counterparts while simultaneously developing their own leadership and self advocacy skills.

Specialized and individual tutoring is available and designated for

EOPS students. Students in the

EOPS program are invited to participate in regular offsite activities such as enrichment activities, campus visits, and conferences. During the past six years, 1,464 students were served.

97

Project Gold Cohort Program and the Club House Supplemental

Instructional Assistants (Title V)

Students in Project Guided

Outcomes for Learning

Development (GOLD), a program funded through Title V, are provided with weekly group support meetings, supplemental instructional assistance, textbooks, and materials. Instructional faculty and staff are invited to participate and provide input during weekly meetings. Regular field trips to the

Getty Museum, Hearst Castle, college campuses, and other exposure activities are encouraged.

Supplemental instructional assistants (SIAs) provide an unlimited tutorial program in the

―Clubhouse,‖ located in the library.

Standard II

The SIAs sit in on classes and are also available for individual and group tutoring in English and

Spanish during the day and some evening hours. SIAs are valued for their knowledge of classroom events, instructor expectations, and course requirements. The SIAs are trained to model effective academic behavior by asking questions, taking notes, and leading discussions. Currently, all the SIAs have a minimum of a bachelor’s degree in their field of study.

Matriculation

Unlike many colleges, Taft College has identified one individual to lead the matriculation effort, the coordinator of counseling and matriculation; a full-time, tenured,

12-month faculty member who reports to the vice president of student services. The vice president oversees the many operations of matriculation including: Admissions and Records,

Orientation, Assessment,

Counseling, and Transfer. Regular meetings are held with these workgroups to discuss and ensure compliance and cutting edge service.

The matriculation coordinator has offered several trainings in the

98 to include: workshops on past

Accuplacer, Early Alert system, utilization of Scheduling and

Reporting System (SARS) reason codes and notepad, proper completion of the matriculation


Standard II form, the development of student learning outcomes in student services, and mental health awareness.

The matriculation coordinator facilities bi-weekly staff development meetings with the counseling center and records office staff and serves on the following committees: Admissions and Attendance; Financial Aid;

Academic Policies and Procedures;

Institutional Assessment and

Research Advisory; Curriculum and

General Education; and Staff

Development committees to discuss policy and procedure and provide updated information on research, activities, and future plans.

Instructional faculty are regularly invited for training, participation, and insight at counseling meetings.

At least one faculty member from the ECE, math, science, English, and ESL departments attend these meetings.

Matriculation also funds travel and registration fees for professional conferences and training sessions.

Approximately 500 students receive orientation, assessment, and counseling services per year.

99

Veterans’ Services

The Veterans’ Affairs (VA) counselor provides certification services, monitors student progress, electronically certifies


73 each veteran’s status to the

Department of Veterans’ Affairs, maintains files, develops educational plans, monitors student progress, and makes appropriate referrals as needed.

The Taft College website has up-todate information regarding the process for verification including step-by-step application instruction and online forms.

Distance Learning Services

Over the past three years, the distance learning program has decentralized and all counselors and advisors are trained to provide services to distance learning students. Ever increasing demands for online courses combined with the remote location of the Taft

College campus have prompted orientation, counseling, advising, and registration processes to be available in alternate formats to meet remote students’ needs. An online orientation is available to students who, with just a click of a button, can view the orientation program providing general information about the matriculation process, programs and activities on campus, basic transfer information, and institutional procedures. Phone appointments and online advising through e-mail are available, and a designated distance learning advisor fields calls, troubleshoots, and collaborates with the coordinator of distance learning programs.

74

Transfer Center

The Taft College Transfer Center, located in the Student Services and

Administration building, is conveniently located and equipped to assist students with research into prospective schools and majors, self assessment inventories, scholarship information, visiting college representatives, and on site admission activities. Eureka and

Vault, both career exploration software programs, are available to students at no additional cost.

Self-Evaluation

All counselors meet the California

Community College State

Chancellor’s requirements for employment which include a

Master’s Degree from an accredited college in the fields of Education,

Psychology, Special Education,

Counseling Rehabilitation, and/or

Counseling/Educational Counseling.

All advisors have a minimum of an associates degree and several are working toward advancing their education. Several of the counselors and advisors are enrolled in some form of continuing education program.

Participation in staff development activities continues to be strongly encouraged and resources are allocated every academic year to encourage coordinators, counselors, and advisors to develop their professional

Standard II repertoire and gain up-to-date information on best practices.

Monthly staff development meetings and trainings are hosted by the matriculation coordinator.

Training in Banner modules to assist with the implementation process as well as an on-site administrator to troubleshoot web registration system complications are offered as needed.

Division training and work assignments are established by the vice president of student services and/or designee. Attendance and participation is monitored and documented by the Office of

Instruction.

Non-tenured counselors undergo a peer review 100 process 101

and student review

held in the spring semester. Results have been compiled and examined. Students reported positive experiences, perceived that the counselors had high levels of empathy, genuine rapport, and exhibited professionalism.

Based upon the CCSSE results, Taft

College faculty and staff are viewed as approachable, helpful, and professional. In a recent program review, Taft College was commended for its in-reach and outreach efforts, supplemental support efforts, unlimited tutorial programs, student-centered approach, positive interoffice dynamics, and strong rapport with students.


Standard II

Taft College, home of the acclaimed Transition to

Independent Living (TIL) Program, is a national model and soon will be an international model. There are only four similar programs in the country and TIL is the most notable. With a two to four year waiting list and a plan for expansion on the near horizon that includes a new administrative building and dormitories, the college expects more growth and continuing success.

Regular self assessments measure institutional and program effectiveness. In addition to a biannual survey conducted through the institutional research department, student services created an on-line survey to explore matriculation, admissions, financial aid, student support services, CalWORKs, EOPS/CARE,

ASB, and Title V. Assessments will be administered each semester to gather data on student satisfaction, knowledge of resources, and suggestions for improvement.

Previous self evaluations have resulted in an updated Student

Equity Plan; 102 expansion of the

Center for Academic Support and

Assistance (CASA) that primarily serves students with whom English is a second language; consolidation of service areas; addition of three full-time counselors, creation of positions for program directors in

CASA and Financial Aid; nearly doubled in size the SSS, EOPS, and

CalWORKs programs; placed

75 student service representation on shared governance committees; implemented new technology in the forms of a new registration system (Banner), the SARS-GRID early alert system, and Degree

Works; and provided for regular trainings to educate staff and faculty during winter and summer inservice sessions.

Student services staff works closely with instructional faculty to establish a smooth referral process and increase campus-wide communication. The department is heavily involved in shared governance, having representation in all committees and divisions.

The Counseling Department—which includes offices of Admission,

Financial Aid, Matriculation, and special service departments (EOPS,

CalWORKs, and SSS)—conducts staff development meetings and training sessions either regularly or as needed.

Planning Agenda

As retirements approach, DSPS intends to redesign and restructure positions to best meet the changing needs of the college.

Efforts are currently underway to hire a testing and assessment coordinator and an evaluator, both positions being redeveloped and redesigned out of existing jobs to create new positions more appropriate for the overall vision of the campus.

Taft College will allocate budgetary


76 resources for professional development and training opportunities for faculty and staff alike, and promote and provide incentives for continuing education. d. The institution designs and maintains appropriate programs, practices, and services that support and enhance student understanding and appreciation of diversity.

Description

A variety of active groups on campus promote student understanding and appreciation of diversity. Such groups include ASB,

Best Buddies, Student Equity

Advisory Committee, Student

Support Services, Title V, and TIL.

Self-Evaluation

As reflected in the college vision, mission, and goals, the college supports and appreciates diversity and meets this section of the standard.

Several annual events at the college promote student understanding and appreciation of diversity. The ASB sponsors a lunch for all students and staff with food from many different cultures and organizes other events promoting appreciation of diversity; Best Buddies sponsors numerous events to promote

―disAbilities‖ and a fundraising bike ride each year; Student Equity


Standard II

Advisory Committee updated the

Student Equity Plan in July, 2008, and created new goals and activities to promote diversity arising from campus-based research findings and demographics of the institution;

Student Support Services sponsors an annual banquet, and provides diversity awareness materials to all throughout the semester.

Student Support Services and TIL also meet and collaborate on the

2nd Thursday of every month as the Taft disAbilities Partnership

Team (TAPT) to create and advance their agenda.

Taft College was one of nine colleges selected out of 30 that applied for the SSPIRE grant.

SSPIRE funds have made it possible to integrate student services and instruction. Beginning spring 2006, a cohort program was implemented. Currently, there are five cohort groups of approximately

30 students per cohort. Cohort students attend weekly meetings facilitated by instructors and student services. Students in the cohort program have increased their retention and persistence rates dramatically compared to students who have not participated in the program.

103

Instructors also promote diversity in the classroom through crosscultural comparisons and field trips.

Standard II

Planning Agenda

Continued promotion of clubs and services that support and enhance student understanding and appreciation of diversity is expected. Development of the ESL noncredit and credit programs will continue. Diversity workshops are planned for future inservice training opportunities. e. The institution regularly evaluates admissions and placement instruments and practices to validate their effectiveness while minimizing biases.

Description

The last comprehensive validation study for the college’s assessment instrument was completed in 2003-

2004. Taft College changed assessment instruments on July 1,

2006, from Asset to Accuplacer, a commercially available, second party test. Taft College continues to use the Combined English

Language Skills Assessment

(CELSA) test to assess the learning needs of students wanting to enroll in noncredit ESL courses. Both

Accuplacer and CELSA are approved assessment instruments on the 2008-2009 approved assessment instruments list provided by the Chancellor’s Office.

Self-Evaluation

Taft College conducted a validation study on Accuplacer assessment

77 instruments to review, at minimum, content validity, cutscore validity, and disproportionate impact. Reviews should be conducted every three years on campus to address the three assessment standards listed above.

While no documentation needs to be submitted to the Center for

Education Testing and Evaluation, it must be kept on file at the college for use in matriculation analysis.

Taft College added a faculty position of testing coordinator and assessment specialist. In part, the responsibilities of this position include meeting the needs of students and faculty, as well as ensuring the validity and reliability of all tests.

Planning Agenda

Taft College has been using the

Accuplacer WritePlacer and Levels of English Proficiency (LOEP)

WritePlacer exams to place students in the appropriate writing class since July 1, 2006. Although

Accuplacer is an approved assessment instrument, these two exams are not on the 2008-2009 approved list provided by the

Chancellor’s Office. Having reviewed the Standards Document for requesting local approval, Taft

College officials need to not only continue to pursue approval from the Chancellor’s Office, but also submit an application for approval of exams as locally managed instruments. Interestingly, if there


78 are six colleges from six different community college districts who request approval for WritePlacer, the exam could be approved as a critical mass approval of an

Instrument. Continual efforts should be made to collaborate with other Accuplacer WritePlacer users who may be interested in working with Taft College in seeking this critical mass approval.

Further efforts will be required to locate a space for an Assessment

Center to house all testing, and where the full-time testing coordinator and assessment specialist can oversee testing. f. The institution maintains student records permanently, securely, and confidentially, with provision for secure backup of all files, regardless of the form in which those files are maintained. The institution publishes and follows established policies for release of student records.

Description

All student records of Taft College are kept in accordance with the

Family Educational Rights and

Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974.

Students may request access to those campus records that personally identify the student; students may challenge the accuracy of the record or the appropriateness of its retention.

Student consent is needed for the

Standard II release of records covered by the

Act to outside parties (e.g., prospective employers) except for those agencies entitled to access under the provisions of the Act

(e.g., campus officials, other schools, federal educational and auditing officers, and requests in connection with the application or receipt of financial aid.) These provisions apply to records received and used after November

19, 1974.

Reflecting changing technology,

FERPA updates have determined that students who study online or otherwise are not physically present in the classroom are covered by FERPA. (Past regulations extended the law to students studying through correspondence, but did not address those who are taught by electronic means.) Changes to regulations concerning the release of student records in the context of a health or safety risk have also been added.

Taft College maintains student records permanently, securely, and confidentially, with provisions for secure backup of all files by scanning transcripts and admissions documents 5 years or older into the Laserfiche system.

Unnecessary student information on file that is no longer needed is shredded. Laserfiche requires a password which serves to make online access available only to key individuals to retrieve confidential information. Files and documents


Standard II waiting to be scanned are securely stored in filing cabinets in a locked room until scanned.

Self-Evaluation

The college meets this section of the standard.

Planning Agenda

None.

4. The institution evaluates student support services to assure their adequacy in meeting identified student needs. Evaluation of these services provides evidence that they contribute to the achievement of student learning outcomes. The institution uses the results of these evaluations as the basis for improvement.

Description

The College offers a variety of student services in support of the institution’s mission to provide a

―wide range of student services‖ to promote learning and success.

The college’s Office of Institutional


Planning collects data on demographics, enrollment, graduation, retention, and success rates. This information is distributed to the college and utilized in evaluating the services provided to students.

79

In addition, Taft College has been conducting student satisfaction or student engagement surveys every

2-3 years since spring 2002.

During the spring of 2002 and

2004, the college conducted the

Noel-Levitz Student Satisfaction

Inventory (SSI). In the spring of

2007 and 2009, the Community

College Survey of Student

Engagement (CCSSE) was administered. The IAR&P Office has compiled results from the SSI and

CCSSE surveys and has made them available to the campus.

Taft College academic advisors and counselors, like all faculty, are evaluated by their managers, peers, and students on a periodic basis to ensure that best practices are in place and being provided to students in the form of excellent service. In the fall of 2008, the student portion of the evaluation utilized 75 students who visited with an advisor or counselor. This testing cohort was given the opportunity to evaluate their advisor or counselor using a onepage questionnaire that is available on the IAR&P website. IAR&P assisted in these evaluations by developing the database to record, analyze, and report the survey results. Summary reports containing the means and frequencies for all relevant questions and a listing of student comments were presented to student services staff.

Taft College completed a Student

Services Program Review in


80

November, 2007. Information relating to access, progress, and success was compiled and compared across categorical programs.

The Student Equity Advisory

Committee updated the Student

Equity Plan in July, 2008. The

Student Equity Advisory Committee was made up of the vice president of student services, the coordinator of EOPS/CARE, the coordinator of counseling, the coordinator of distance learning, the director of

DSPS, the coordinator of institutional research, several other student services staff members, instructors, and student representatives. Their report included a number of recommendations developed out of input from the staff and students.

Success indicators and measurable standards were updated to help identify various population groups impacted by issues of equal opportunity. Based on these research findings and demographics of the institution, new goals and activities have been created for the campus.

Self-Evaluation

While the college is doing a good job of providing support services to both on-campus and distance learning students in its efforts to foster student learning and success, there is work to be done.

Taft College has a continued interest to preserve and enhance

Standard II the diversity and equity of students, faculty, and staff. Taft

College’s Student Equity Plan was updated in 2008.

Planning is an integral part of the

Taft College culture. The Taft

College Planning Council holds regular meetings to set goals for the coming year. Additionally, the college will soon complete an updated facilities master plan.

104

This document will guide the district for the next several years.

In addition to ongoing selfevaluation through various program meetings and discussions, each student services program is reviewed through the College’s

Student Services Program Review process. A final Student Services

Review handbook was completed, approved by the Planning Council, and distributed to program coordinators and directors in

August, 2008. Non-instructional departments of Athletics, DSPS,

Matriculation, CalWORKs,

EOPS/CARE, Assessment and

Testing, Orientation, Counseling,

Admissions and Records, Outreach,

Articulation, Transfer, Career

Center, Job Placement, Housing,

Campus Life, and Financial Aid are expected to complete a program review every six years to assure their adequacy in meeting identified student needs, as well as a smaller internal program review annually. An internal program review model and handbook were revised and finalized in August,

2008. The introduction of the


Standard II handbook states, ―The overarching goal of Student Services Program

Review is to provide feedback for program improvement and implementation and to help promote efficient use of resources to maximize student success.‖ One important aspect of the yearly internal program review is to allow departments to critically self-reflect and update in preparation for the full review every six years.

Planning is linked to budget development, and the handbook explains departmental participation in this process.

Finally, using the college’s proposed institutional level

SLOs, 105 categorical programs have developed SLOs that support the overall goals of the college.

Activities, assessments, tools, and processes for each categorical program are outlined in program review documents that are available on the IAR&P website.

Since all categorical programs have only recently developed their SLOs, assessment information is not yet available. Assessment of SLOs began in fall 2008, and categorical programs will meet to review each

81 outcome and use the results of these evaluations as the basis for improvement. The addition of a

SLO coordinator on campus in fall

2008 has facilitated the SLO process on campus. The SLO coordinator will continue to provide workshops and resources to help coordinate and support SLO efforts on campus, as well as initiating a standardized process and template for SLO development and tracking.

Planning Agenda

Faculty and staff will continue to work with the SLO coordinator to measure and evaluate service SLOs and use the data to shape future changes in services.

The campus will sponsor and participate in the Student Service program review.

The division will develop a student services survey and administer it each semester. Results from the survey will be analyzed to provide informed decisions on changes needed in student services.


82 Standard II

____________________________________________________________

Phi Theta Kappa students run an espresso stand to raise money for club activities.

____________________________________________________________

C.

Library and Learning

Support Services

Library and other learning support services for students are sufficient to support the institution’s instructional programs and intellectual, aesthetic, and cultural activities in whatever format and wherever they are offered. Such services include library services and collections, tutoring, learning centers, computer laboratories, and learning technology development and training. The institution provides access and training to students so that library and other learning support services may be used effectively and efficiently. The institution systematically assesses these services using student learning outcomes, faculty input, and other appropriate measures in order to improve the effectiveness of the services.


Standard II

1. The institution supports the quality of its instructional programs by providing library and other learning support services that are sufficient in quantity, currency, depth, and variety to facilitate educational offerings, regardless of location or means of delivery.

Description

Taft College library owns 20,000-

25,000 print volumes and roughly

9,000 books in electronic format, as well as several hundred videotapes and DVDs. The library subscribes to approximately 30 databases which are accessible both on campus and through the library website.

106 With the exception of works of history, most materials in the reference collection are less than 20 years old; the collection as a whole is weeded and updated continuously.

Self-Evaluation

Taft College library is committed to furthering student learning through quality reference and tutoring services, as well as providing upto-date and comprehensive sources of information. The library cooperates with faculty to provide materials and services that support the curriculum. To that end, the library collects data on the usage of library services, both on107 off-campus.

108 Information

and competency is a key institutional student learning outcome which

83 students are required to master for graduation; the library assists students in achieving this outcome through library tours, tutoring, reference assistance, and a mandatory one-credit course. To assess students’ information competency, library staff use students’ grades earned in the

INCO1548 course, 109 the depth and variety of assistance required in tutoring and reference, and particular needs identified by faculty and the students themselves. The library welcomes input from students and faculty, and has identified several ways for members of the community to provide that input—through the

―Recommendations for purchase‖ form 110 on the library website; through the weekly Faculty Friday breakfasts in the building; and through the monthly ―Challenge

Question‖ 111 which encourages all members of the campus community to hone their research skills.

Planning Agenda

In 2008, the library moved to a new facility with much greater study space and twice as many computer terminals (20 desktop computers and 20 circulating laptops). The library continues to seek greater input from faculty, particularly in purchasing and programming decisions. In the longer term, the library seeks to increase the size of its electronic collection and anticipates adding to and improving its list of databases.


84 a. Relying on appropriate expertise of faculty, including librarians and other learning support services professionals, the institution selects and maintains educational equipment and materials to support student learning and enhance the achievement of the mission of the institution.

Description

Development of library print, electronic, and audiovisual collections is the responsibility of the two librarians who do so by building upon faculty and student recommendations. The director authorizes purchases of educational equipment for the library, including computers and audiovisual equipment, as suggested by the staff. Library educational equipment needs are forwarded to the campus

Information Technology

Department, where equipment is selected and ordered. IT installs and maintains all campus educational equipment. Coursespecific software purchases and installations are dictated by the needs of the curriculum.

Self-Evaluation

Library staff members are responsible for ensuring that the number and variety of equipment and materials meets the needs of the users. As written in the Mission

Statement of the West Kern

Standard II

Community College District, ―All programs and services are focused on the educational needs of the community learners.‖ Taft College library supports this mission by continuously weeding and adding to the print collections and by invigorating and updating electronic databases.

Possible improvements are identified through comments from faculty and students, as well as ideas that staff encounter at conferences and workshops. The library seeks input from all members of the college community. In spring 2009, the library purchased a subscription to the ARTstor database following a request from Professor Sonja

Swenson, and subscribed to the

JSTOR database after Professor

Rick Miranda asked for access to more peer-reviewed scientific journals, particularly Science . The collection of geography and travel books has been significantly enlarged and updated to better serve Professor Kamala Carlson’s classes.

Since the last accreditation review, the Collection Development

Policy 112 has been updated and a

―recommendations for purchase‖ form has been added to the library website in response to needs identified at that time.

In the past twelve months, the library’s website has been completely redesigned. Significant additions include:


Standard II

A ―My Library Account‖ link allowing library patrons to electronically renew materials and view various kinds of information including fines, pending holds, and currently charged items.

A ―Library FAQ‖ providing information about the library, its services, equipment, and rules.

A ―Challenge Questions‖ link taking patrons to past and current Challenge Questions.

A ―Library Documents and

Policies‖ link providing access to various official documents, including the library’s Mission

Statement, Collections

Development Policy, Fines and Fees Schedule,

Computer Use Policy, Library student learning outcomes, and a form for filing a protest against materials that a patron may regard as unsuitable for the collection.

A ―News and Events‖ section announcing upcoming events at the library.

Planning Agenda

Currently, Taft College library uses a commercial product for its

Integrated Library System (ILS).

This software is increasingly dated and suffers from several highprofile flaws. Recently, staff have been looking into several competing products including

Evergreen and Koha.

on replacing the ILS.

113 As of this writing, no decision has been made

85 b. The institution provides ongoing instruction for users of library and other learning support services so that students are able to develop skills in information competency.

Description

In August of 2007, Taft College filled a new faculty position, instructional librarian. Previously, the library professional staff consisted of the director (a librarian), and a faculty member for tutoring and instructional support.

Librarians and adjunct instructors teach a one-credit course,

Information Competency and

Bibliography, which is required for graduation from Taft College. Two other courses are offered by the library: The Role of the Tutor in

Society and Education, and

Supervised Tutoring. The library’s tutoring program provides assistance with all subjects and is staffed during most of the building’s hours of operation.

Librarians offer a workshop on database searching during the faculty inservice days at the beginning of spring semester, encouraging faculty to make use of the databases and to refer their students to the library for research.

At an instructor’s request, librarians offer database demonstrations and class tours throughout academic terms.


86

Self-Evaluation

The library's Mission Statement reads as follows:

The Taft College library supports the overall mission of Taft College. In addition, the library:

Provides materials in several formats to answer a variety of informational needs.

Provides specific materials to support the college curriculum.

Provides users with the tools and training to access the Library's collection and to search for information worldwide.

Provides courteous, prompt, and accurate service to every patron.

Subscribes to the Library Bill of

Rights,

114

as adopted by The American

Library Association.

Improving information competency as one of the library's key aims, is embodied in two points of the

Mission Statement: providing materials in several formats, and providing users with tools and training. Such training includes not only the practical aspects of finding and using information, but also the importance of academic honesty and critically analyzing source integrity. The Information

Competency and Bibliography course emphasizes the importance of understanding plagiarism and copyright law. The library encourages free inquiry through its commitment to the Library Bill of

Rights, and furthers student learning outcomes by supporting the curriculum and providing materials suitable to a wide range of informational interests. Library student learning outcomes were drafted in May, 2009.

115

Standard II

The Information Competency course is revised every semester to keep up with developments in research tools and changes in copyright law. At the end of each semester, students fill out evaluation forms which provide a rich resource for suggestions to improve the curriculum.

116 A recent study of student performance in an

English 1500 section revealed that

"[s]tudents who took [INCO 1548] before [English 1500] earned almost a whole grade point higher

(average GPA=2.76) on their

[English 1500] grade than those who did not take [INCO 1548]

(average GPA=1.84)." 117

In July of 2008, the library implemented a monthly "Challenge

Question." This is an in-depth, research-driven question that encourages students and staff to develop research skills. Students who answer the question correctly are entered in a drawing for a $5 gift certificate to a local café.

Challenge Question results provide some insight into the information competency of the campus community as a whole.

118

Planning Agenda

New data collection methods are being developed to better quantify

Full-time Equivalent Student

(FTES) generated by the library through the following courses:


Bibliography; The Role of the Tutor in Society and Education; and

Supervised Tutoring. The most


Standard II remarkable growth is in


Bibliography, and a request for an additional faculty librarian position within the next three years is in planning and is being driven in part by the following data:

INCO FTES growth = 189% over a

6-year period:

2000/2001 = 12.17 FTES

2001/2002 = 12.61

2002/2003 = 20.42

2003/2004 = 22.56

2004/2005 = 30.24

2005/2006 = 35.22

It is important to note that these figures reflect fall and spring sections only. Taft College has been offering 12 sections of INCO each fall, 9 each spring, and 5 each summer, for a total of 26 sections per year. c. The institution provides students and personnel responsible for student learning programs and services adequate access to the library and other learning support services, regardless of their location or means of delivery.

Description

Library hours are: summer, intersession, and break, 8AM-8PM,

Monday-Thursday (48 hours); fall and spring semesters, 8AM-9PM

Monday-Thursday, 8AM-5PM Friday

(61 hours). The library’s website

87 offers 24-hour access to electronic books, subscription databases, and a list of useful web resources. All electronic resources may be accessed on-campus or from remote locations. Students and faculty may also communicate with the library by phone, email and fax.

Self-Evaluation

Taft College library meets this section of the standard. The library collects statistics on the number of people in the building, the number who receive tutoring 119 and the number who use the databases and uses them to evaluate the degree to which users are aware of and exploit library resources. This information not only guides purchasing and subscription decisions, but also allows library staff to evaluate the effectiveness of outreach programs such as tours and resource demonstrations.

Planning Agenda

Library usage has risen substantially since its move to the new building. If demand continues to increase, the library may implement Saturday hours, 10AM-

2PM, during fall and spring semesters. d. The institution provides effective maintenance and security for its library and other learning support services.


88

Description

At least two staff members are on duty during all of the library’s open hours. Students, faculty, and staff must have ID cards to check out materials or use the computers.

Public patrons are permitted to use library resources but are required to have a public user’s card for the library in order to check out materials or use the computers.

Public patrons must be age 18 or older to obtain such a card.

Library staff work closely with campus Information Technology staff to assure electronic security.

Currently, the library protects its computers by way of a campus firewall and by requiring users to provide a remote login to access subscription databases.

Campus security officers regularly check the library during evening hours and are available to escort library users and staff from the building at closing.

Maintenance of the library building is supported by the maintenance department; maintenance of equipment is supported by the


Department; and maintenance of information resources is supported by library staff.

Self-Evaluation

Security efforts demonstrate the institutional commitment to a safe campus, both physically and

Standard II electronically. Open dialogue among library, IT, maintenance, and security staff assures effective maintenance, safety, and integrity of the library and its learning resources program. Furthermore, the new library building is equipped with card-activated locks on the doors and has security gates at both exits to prevent theft of library materials. It is believed Taft

College library meets this section of the standard, but there is more work to be done.

Planning Agenda

An electronic campus portal is being implemented as part of the

Banner program and will further support the security of electronic records. Taft College has recently hired a new vice president of administrative services, who is in the process of drafting an emergency response plan. Key elements of the plan involve improving communication across campus; improving communication with emergency responders; training staff in basic emergency response procedures; and updating safety plans to consider new construction and new safety features around campus, such as improved outdoor lighting and emergency phones. e. When the institution relies on or collaborates with other institutions or other sources for library and other learning support services for its instructional programs, it


Standard II documents that formal agreements exist and that such resources and services are adequate for the institution’s intended purposes, are easily accessible, and utilized. The performance of these services is evaluated on a regular basis. The institution takes responsibility for and assures the reliability of all services provided either directly or through contractual arrangement.

Description

Taft College Library has formal agreements with the Community

College Library Consortium (CCLC) for database subscriptions and with the Kern County Law Library and

Municipal Courts Self-Help Center for legal resources. As a charter member of the Heartland Region of the Library of California, the library participates in no cost interlibrary loans with academic, public, school, and special libraries in the region. Efforts were made in 2005 to form a joint-use library with the neighboring county library branch; during this process, the college library director published an article on joint-use libraries in a college library management book, It's All

About Student Learning: Managing

Community and Other College

Libraries in the 21st Century .

120

Taft College has paid memberships with a number of organizations, including the following:

89

American Library Association

(ALA), 121

California Library Association

(CLA), 122 and

Council of Chief Librarians of the California Community

Colleges (CCL).

123

Through these organizations the library engages in a variety of collaborative activities.

Self-Evaluation

It is believed the Taft College library meets the expectations set out in this section of the standard.

Library staff members have made extensive use of the workshops, listservs, conferences, and general advice provided by the various organizations and agencies with which the institution collaborates.

Information from these entities has been incorporated into the


Bibliography course and has influenced day-to-day policies within the library.

Planning Agenda

Following its relocation, the library developed a Friends of the College

Library program for interaction, advocacy, and support among students, faculty, staff, and the general public. This group has already hosted a number of events through the library, and future events are being planned.

Consideration is also being given to a formal arrangement with the local high school that would allow


90 high school students to use college library resources for their class work. Tutoring services may be expanded to include community volunteer tutors and to reach out to community adults with low literacy skills, using the State

Library’s California Literacy

Campaign as a model.

2. The institution evaluates library and other learning support services to assure their adequacy in meeting identified student needs.

Evaluation of these services provides evidence that they contribute to the achievement of student learning outcomes. The institution uses the results of these evaluations as the basis for improvement.

Description

The library collects statistics on the usage of library resources. The library accepts purchase suggestions from faculty, staff, and students, and continuously evaluates and improves the


Bibliography course.

Self-Evaluation

Taft College provides many services geared towards meeting identified student needs. Every two years in the spring, the IAR&P

Office conducts a student survey.

Based on the results of these surveys, Taft College tries to

Standard II address student needs and requests. The most recent survey was conducted in spring of 2009.

With the recent implementation of the Title V grant, Taft College has begun utilizing a Supplemental

Instructional Assistant (SIA) program. These instructional assistants have been instrumental in helping students in Project GOLD be successful in the academic environment. SIAs are available to any Taft College student and are located in the ―Clubhouse,‖ a room within the library.

In addition to the Supplemental

Instruction program, Taft College has been supportive in bringing educational opportunities to Taft.

The Liberal Arts Division, in cooperation with SSPIRE and

Migrant Education, has sponsored two author visits. In the fall of

2007, Lu Chi Fa, author of Double

Luck , and in April of 2008, Reyna

Grande, winner of El Premio Aztlan , visited the college campus. Upon learning of these presentations, the library provided students with access to both authors’ works and immediately ordered copies for its permanent collection.

The new library building design consolidates tutoring services and computer labs for writing and math tutoring to make it easier for students to find help in a single location. The building also includes quiet study rooms off of the main floor.


Standard II

Planning Agenda

Library staff continues to explore the idea of developing an online tutoring program to assist remote students and to provide extended access to tutoring for all students.


1 Taft College Mission Statement 2009

2 Course Approval Application

3 Taft College: West Kern Community

College District; New Course Request

Form

4 Office of The Vice President of

Instruction: Curriculum and General

Education Committee Memorandum

September 17, 2008, page 3

5 Taft College Planning Council Agenda

November 20, 2008

6 ―Matrix‖ email from John Griffith to

Geoffrey Dyer, February 9, 2009.

See also Taft College Planning

Council Meeting Minutes, December

4, 2008

7 TC Planning Council: Evaluation of

Program Proposals

8 Taft College Planning Council

Meeting Minutes, December 18,

2008

9 Summary of Rankings: TC Planning

Council: Evaluation of Program

Proposals

10 Curriculum and General Education

Committee Inservice Training

Agenda August 20, 2008

11 Curriculum Workshop Materials from

Taft College Inservice, January 15,

2009

12 OSCAR Information from Articulation

Officer

13 Taft College Program Review Guide

14 Faculty Information -Evaluation of

Instruction-pages 11-14

15 New Teaching Contract Faculty Self

Evaluation Guidelines page 1

16 Self Evaluation for Geoffrey Dyer pages 2-15

17 Taft College Contract Teaching

Faculty Adm/Peer Evaluation Form.


91

(This form is also used to evaluate adjunct instructors—see Faculty

Information ―Evaluation of

Instruction‖ page 13)

18 Taft College Student Evaluation of

Instructor and Course: G. Dyer,

ENGL 1000, Fall 2008

19 See ―Credit Inventory‖ at CA

Community College’s Chancellor’s

Office .

<https://misweb.cccco.edu/webprogi nv/prod/collegelist_n.cfm>

20 Taft College Transition to

Independent Living, Power Point

Presentation Booklet

21 2007 Follow-Up Assessment Report

Summary: TIL Graduate Outcomes

22 Taft disabilities Partnership Team:

Building Bridges to Inclusion: Mission

23 Taft Transition Partnership Team

Member List

24 Taft Independent , February 14,

2008, Vol.2, Issue 33

25 Results from the Spring 2007

Administration of the Community

College Survey of Student

Engagement at Taft College

26 Course Persistence and Success

Rates: 2003-2007, November 29,

2007, pages 1-66

27 Program Review for Secretarial

Studies page 6

28 Taft College Rural Opportunities

Study Grant Environmental Scan

Highlights: July 2008

29 O*Net Website

(http://online.onetcenter.org)

30 Taft College Board of Trustees Policy

4020 ―Program and Curriculum

Development‖ July 10, 2008

31 Taft College Distance Learning

Curriculum Development Guidelines

32 Proctor Procedures—Taft College.

March 3, 2009 (Download date).

<http://web.taftcollege.edu/academi c/distance%20learning/proctor_proc edures.shtml>

33 Evaluation Form for Non-

Instructional Days: SLO & Program

Review- January 8, 2007

34 Social Sciences SLOs

92 Standard II

35 eLumen website

<http://www.elumen.info/>

36 Handbook for Student Services

Program Review

37 ―Process for Writing Course Level

SLOs‖ handout from January, 2009 inservice presentation

38 Fulks, Janet Assessing Student

Learning in Higher Education

39 Fulks, Janet and Sue Granger-

Dickson. Taft College: Authentic

Assessment Training Resource used at Taft College’s Academic Senate meeting, January 16, 2009

40 English 1500 Composition and

Reading (3) CSU:UC (Course Outline of Record), Pages 2-3.

41 Revising Taft College’s SLOs-

Handout from August Inservice,

2008. (See also corresponding

PowerPoint presentation on the Taft

College ―Assessment Resources for

Faculty‖ webpage:

<http://faculty.taftcollege.edu/slos/d ata/asmnt.shtml>)

42 English 1500 SLOs

<http://faculty.taftcollege.edu/slos/d ata/slo_courses.shtml>

43 Taft College Dental Hygiene

Program: Advisory Board Handbook

44 Academic Senate Agenda March 2,

2009.

45 Proposal to Taft College Academic

Senate for an SLO Subcommittee of

Curriculum March 2, 2009.

46 Program Review Template Revision

Approved by the Academic Senate on March 2, 2009.

47 Completed Individual Assessment

Reports—posted on ―Assessment

Resources for Faculty‖ link on Taft

College SLO webpage. Updated regularly.

<http://faculty.taftcollege.edu/slos/d ata/asmnt.shtml>

48 Internal Recruitment Announcement:

Fall SLO Team Member. Posted through Announcements in First

Class email Platform, September 15,

2008

49 Exhibit 1-2: Program Completion

Rate. Taft College Dental Hygiene


Department Self Study for

Accreditation through ADA. February,

2009.



Department Self Study for accreditation through ADA. February,

2009.




2009.

52 Program Review of Social Science

Division Programs and Courses,

December, 2008

Liberal Arts Division Program

Review, May, 2005

53 Emails from ARCC task force

54 Kulzer, Kelly. Data Request Form:

―Science by Ethnicity‖ Taft College

Planning Website. March 11, 2009.

<http://planning.taftcollege.edu/foru m/showthread.php?t=150>

55 Individual Assessment Report:

Student Services Monitored

Academic Probation Program—

August 19, 2008.

56 ―Is Distance Learning Right for You?‖

Taft College Webpage: Distance

Learning Home: Getting Started

<http://www.taftcollege.edu/dl/right

_for_you.htm>

57 Taft College New Teaching Contract

Faculty Self Evaluation page 1; and

―Taft College Contract teaching

Faculty ADM/Peer Form (cited previously).

58 Faculty/Staff Meeting Schedule—

Non-Instructional Days: January 6-

16, 2004

59 May Inservice Topic Descriptions

Announcement posted on Taft

College First Class Client, March 5,

2009.

60 ―Seeing Is Believing: Chain Reactions in Assessment‖ (Conference Session

Description). WASC ARC:

Showcasing Solutions, Producing

Results. March 27, 2009

<http://www.wascarc.org/program/s

Standard II 93 eeing-believing-chain-reactionsassessment>

61 Example of Strategic Plan from North

Orange Community College March

27, 2009 (Downloaded). Posted on the Taft College Planning Website for consideration of Taft College.

<http://www.taftplanning.com/index

.php?pageid=charter>

62 Completed Individual Assessment

Reports as of August 19, 2008;

Completed Individual Assessment

Reports from the Fall SLO

Assessment Team, 2008, as of

December 10, 2008—March 27, 2009

(Downloaded) published on the

―Assessment Resources for Faculty‖ page of the Taft College SLO

Webpage.

<http://faculty.taftcollege.edu/slos/d ata/asmnt.shtml>


4025 ―Philosophy and Criteria for

Associate Degree and General

Education‖ September 10, 2003.

64 Title 5 of the California Education

Code

65 Curriculum and General Education

Committee handbook

66 Taft College Catalog and Student

Handbook 2008-2010

67 Accreditation Certificate from

Commission on American Dental

Association

68 California Child Development Matrix

69 Advisory Committee for Career and

Technical Education, minutes

70 Exhibit 1-5: National Board Results.

Taft College Dental Hygiene


2009.

71 Career and Technical Education Plan

72 Planning Council Minutes from Jan.

18, 2008 meeting

73 Taft College Website

<http://www.taftcollege.edu>

74 Project Assist Website

<http://www.assist.org/webassist/welcome.html>

75 Press Releases

76 Advertisements

77 Program Brochures

78 Public Information Committee

Minutes for March 17, 2009

79 Posters


4030

81 Faculty Handbook


5500

83 Student Support Services Program

Review, March 2008

84 Spanish Orientation Materials

85 CCCApply

86 Inservice Schedule

87 Learning Disability Accomodation

Statement

88 Sample Veteran’s Assistance

Educational Plan

89 Minutes of Financial Aid Committee meetings

90 Community Scholarships Listing

91 ―Taft College Class Schedule‖ Taft

College Web Page, May 13, 2009


_services/schedule.shtml>

92 Taft College Career Center Website,


_services/career_center_online.shtm

l>

93 Monitored Academic Progress

Probation Requirements by Taft

College

94 Taft College LD Assessment Process

95 Summer Bridge Program Flyer

96 Chancellor’s Office DataMart

CalWORKS

97 Chancellor’s Office DataMart EOPS

98 Matriculation Workshops During

Inservice

99 Student Services Program Review on

IAR&P Website

100 Taft College Non-Tenured Counselor

Peer Review Form

101 Taft College Non-Tenured Counselor

Student Review Form

102 Student Equity Plan 2008, Office of


103 Status Report on success of cohort program

104 Taft College Facilities Master Plan

<http://www.addington.net/Measure

A/MasterPlan.asp>


94

105 Taft College Institutional Level SLOs


106 Taft College Library Website

<http://web.taftcollege.edu/library/li brary.shtml>

107 Library Usage Statistics, Taft College

Library

108 Database Usage Statistics, Taft

College Library

109 INCO1548 Course Outline of Record

110 Recommendation for Purchase Form

<http://web.taftcollege.edu/recomm endations_for_purchase.shtml>

111 Library Challenge Questions

<http://web.taftcollege.edu/library/i ncludes/challengesite.html>

112 Library Collections Development

Policy

<http://web.taftcollege.edu/library/i ncludes/OfficialDocs.html>

113 Replacing Voyager, email from Dave

Berry to Mimi Collins, Apr. 23, 2009.

114 Library Bill of Rights

<http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/of fices/oif/statementspols/statementsif

/librarybillrights.cfm>

115 Library Student Learning Outcomes

<http://web.taftcollege.edu/library/i ncludes/OfficialDocs.html>

116 Student Evaluations of INCO1548

117 Information Competency Study done by Research Analyst

118 Challenge Questions: Entries and

Correct Answers

119 Tutoring Data, email from Mimi

Collins to Dave Berry, May 19, 2009

120 It’s All about Student Learning:

Managing Community and Other

College Libraries in the 21st Century available in the Taft College library

121 Member ID Card, American Library

Association

122 California Library Association

Welcome Letter

123 Invoice, Council of Chief Librarians to

Taft College Library


Standard II

Standard III 95

STANDARD III

Resources

he institution effectively uses its human, physical, technology, and financial resources to achieve its broad educational purposes, including stated student learning outcomes, and to improve institutional effectiveness.

A. Human Resources

The institution employs qualified personnel to support student learning programs and services wherever offered and by whatever means delivered, and to improve institutional effectiveness.

Personnel are treated equitably, are evaluated regularly and systematically, and are provided opportunities for professional development. Consistent with its mission, the institution demonstrates its commitment to the significant educational role played by persons of diverse backgrounds by making positive efforts to encourage such diversity.

Human resource planning is integrated with institutional planning.

1. The institution assures the integrity and quality of its programs and services by employing personnel who are qualified by appropriate education, training, and experience to provide and support these programs and services.

Description

Taft College is committed to ensuring the integrity and quality of its programs and services by employing the highest qualified personnel, individuals committed to student learning and maintaining institutional integrity.

Taft College strictly adheres to its hiring policies and practices in order to ensure consistency as an institution of higher learning and quality from all its employees. This approach is vital to ensuring the integrity of our programs and services.

Self-Evaluation

The standard is met.

Planning Agenda

None. a. Criteria, qualifications, and procedures for selection of personnel are clearly and publicly stated. Job descriptions are directly related to institutional mission and goals and accurately reflect position


96 duties, responsibilities, and authority. Criteria for selection of faculty include knowledge of the subject matter or service to be performed (as determined by individuals with discipline expertise), effective teaching, scholarly activities, and potential to contribute to the mission of the institution.

Institutional faculty play a significant role in selection of new faculty. Degrees held by faculty and administrators are from institutions accredited by recognized

U.S. accrediting agencies.

Degrees from non-U.S. institutions are recognized only if equivalence has been established.

Description

Taft College has developed specific processes and criteria for selection of personnel, as reflected in the documents Development of New

Position/Recruitment Procedure-

Educational Administrator,

Classified and Confidential

1 Management and Classified Staff;

Development of New


Contract Faculty;

7120 states: 4

2 and Recruitment

Screening Process.

3 Board Policy

The Superintendent/President shall establish procedures for the recruitment and selection of employees including, but not limited to, the following criteria.

An Equal Employment Opportunity plan


Standard III shall be implemented according to Title 5 and Board Policy 3420.

Academic employees shall possess the minimum qualifications or equivalency as prescribed for their positions by the Board of

Governors.

The criteria and procedures for hiring academic employees shall be established and implemented in accordance with board policies and procedures regarding the

Academic Senate ’s role in local decisionmaking.

The criteria and procedures for hiring classified employees shall be established after first affording CSEA Chapter #543 an opportunity to participate in the decisions under the Boards policies regarding local decision making.

Regarding Westside Energy

Services Training and Education

Center (WESTEC), the vocational training facility for corrections,

Occupational Safety and Health

Administration (OSHA), petroleumtechnology, and their own business administration classes, the board approves the hiring of faculty, and the approval of their qualifications follows the same certification process as Taft College faculty. The

Office of Instruction, Office of

Student Services, applicable division chair, and the academic senate president sign the certification document signifying approval. The WESTEC personnel files are then housed in Human

Resources Department. WESTEC generates Full-time Equivalent

Students (FTES) for the college only with those instructors approved by Taft College.

Standard III

Self-Evaluation

We are meeting these criteria through the hiring process, candidates meeting minimum qualifications, the competitive interview process, and verification of accredited degrees. The Human

Resources Department creates consistency and maintains integrity by directing and facilitating the recruitment process and collaborates with district-wide constituencies to continually evaluate, plan, and improve. As a small institution, Taft College also requires and implements the necessary flexibility to meet both student and institutional needs.

The corresponding board procedure should be updated to keep it consistent with current practice.

A key to Taft College’s success has been its ability to hire qualified personnel for administrators, faculty, and classified staff, individuals who, in addition to meeting the minimum requirements, also communicate effectively, care about students as individuals, strive to be teamplayers, show flexibility and adaptability to institutional needs, and are willing to participate beyond their initial expectations in the ongoing success of the college.

Board Policies and Procedures 5 are currently being revised to improve

Taft College’s effectiveness as an institution, but personnel responsible for hiring have always verified minimum qualifications for employees, checked equivalency

97 using a board approved equivalency procedure, 6 checked references thoroughly, only accepted accredited degrees, and clearly publicized criteria, qualifications, and procedures. It is the vision 7 of Taft College for all learners to achieve their learning goals, and that process begins with the individuals hired through the auspices of Human Resources.

Planning Agenda

Taft College will continue to implement its current process for selecting personnel, as it provides an inherent means for assessing criteria and qualifications and improving selection of personnel to meet the evolving needs of students, the community, and the college. The revision of the Board

Procedures will be completed to reflect current practice and clarify procedures. b. The institution assures the effectiveness of its human resources by evaluating all personnel systematically and at stated intervals. The institution establishes written criteria for evaluating all personnel, including performance of assigned duties and participation in institutional responsibilities and other activities appropriate to their expertise. Evaluation processes seek to assess effectiveness of personnel and encourage improvement.


98

Actions taken following evaluations are formal, timely, and documented.

Description

Systematic evaluation of personnel is conducted at stated intervals.

Written criteria are used that reflect assigned duties, assess performance, and encourage improvement. The evaluation process is formal and documented.

These processes are stated in the following documents:

HR Business Process

Analysis, Performance

Evaluations, Management

HR Business Process

Analysis, Performance

Evaluations, Classified 9

8

Procedure for Evaluation of

Adjunct Lecturers

Contract Faculty 11

10



Tenured Faculty 12

The progress made on evaluation procedures for administrators, classified supervisory, and confidential management remains in place. All faculty evaluate educational administrators, and a smaller group of 25 survey classified supervisory and confidential managers. Classified permanent staff have an annual evaluation in which they are given communication on areas they meet or have succeeded in and goals for areas of improvement. Faculty evaluations include peer and


Standard III administrator observations, student, self, peer and supervisor evaluations. Once evaluated, the appropriate supervisor meets with the instructor to review and discuss whether goals are being met and to establish the goals or actions that will be taken in response to the evaluation.

Self-Evaluation

These procedures continue to improve over time in an effort to encourage innovation, maintain quality interaction with students at all levels, and improve institutional effectiveness. Given the increase in distance learning students, expanding the evaluation process to those students is a positive improvement.

Planning Agenda

Taft College will continue to assess its current evaluation procedures with an eye to ongoing improvement and in order to adapt to evolving learning environments and changing student needs. c. Faculty and others directly responsible for student progress toward achieving stated student learning outcomes have, as a component of their evaluation, effectiveness in producing those learning outcomes.

Standard III

Description

Student learning outcomes have become a major project for all divisions, departments, and the institution as a whole. There is a commitment to understanding the nature and purpose of student learning outcomes and to establishing expertise in their implementation. Faculty and management have attended seminars and conferences to garner the knowledge required to inculcate student learning outcomes into the college infrastructure. In the Faculty Self

Evaluation Guidelines , 13 faculty are required to convey their instructional methodology and to describe the specific strategies they use in the classroom. They are encouraged to share how they emphasize high expectations, how they use learning objectives, and how they improve learning outcomes. Each division and department is engaged in the project of developing and evaluating student learning outcomes and is involved in a dialogue to fully understand and employ best practices in this implementation process.

14 The college has established a student learning outcomes coordinator position, and that individual has worked hard to educate faculty regarding the student learning outcomes definition and process, working with faculty to establish the outcomes and implement an assessment procedure. Divisions, disciplines, and professors are

99 engaged in the process of producing results that can be assessed for improvement. By the fall of 2009, the SLO coordinator plans to have a perpetual process of assessment and evaluation campus-wide.

15

Self-Evaluation

Student learning outcomes are not yet integrated into the campuswide curriculum, but the process has begun. Faculty and administration are committed to making the changes necessary at the course, program, and degree level. Each division and department is establishing appropriate means for measuring student learning outcomes. The

SLO coordinator has made the essential progress Taft College needed to advance its goals in this area, and many professors have provided feedback, stating that

―the value [of SLOs] to the student is now clear‖ and they are actually looking forward to seeing the results of their SLO process and having a dialogue in their departments and divisions about the results.

16

Planning Agenda

Divisions, departments, and instructors are implementing the measures for student learning outcomes and will engage in selfanalysis and dialogue in an effort to provide the highest quality teaching and learning. Each professor will be encouraged to


100 make use of the paid training offered through the SLO coordinator each of the coming semesters. d. The institution upholds a written code of professional ethics for all of its personnel.

Description

Taft College upholds a written code of professional ethics as part of the board policies and procedures. For faculty, it is listed under Board

Policy 4030, Academic Freedom.

17

For the board, Board Policy 2715,

Code of Ethics/Standards of

Practice, states in part, "The Board maintains high standards of ethical conduct for its members.‖ 18 It then lists the duties of the board.

Board Policy 7362, Discipline and

Dismissals Classified Supervisory and Confidential Management, 19 and Board Policy 7365, Discipline and Dismissals Classified

Employees 20 state the grounds for which these employees can be disciplined or dismissed.

BP 4030 Academic Freedom

Reference: Title 5, Section 51023;

Accreditation Standard II.A.7. Institutions of higher education are conducted for the common good and not to further the interest of either the individual instructor or the institution as a whole. The common good depends upon the free search for truth and its free exposition. In order to assure the academic integrity of the teaching-learning process, faculty distinguish between personal conviction and professionally accepted views in a discipline. They present data and information fairly and objectively.

1. The instructor is entitled to full


Standard III freedom in research and in the publication of the results, subject to the adequate performance of his/her other academic duties; but research for pecuniary return should be based upon an understanding with the authorities of the institution.

2. The instructor is entitled to freedom in the classroom in discussing his/her subject, but he/she should be careful not to introduce into his/her teaching controversial matter which has no relation to his/her subject. Limitations of academic freedom because of religious or other aims of the institution should be clearly stated in writing at the time of the appointment.

3. The college or university instructor is a citizen, a member of a learned profession, and an officer of an educational institution. When he/she speaks or writes as a citizen, he/she should be free from institutional censorship or discipline, but his/her special position in the community imposes special obligations. As a person of learning and an educational officer, he/she should remember that the public may judge his/her profession and his/her institution as his/her utterances. Hence he/she should at all times be accurate, should exercise appropriate restraint, should respect others ’ opinions, and should make every effort to indicate that he/she is not an institutional spokesperson.

Self-Evaluation

The college needs to expand the definition beyond the more facultybased concept of academic freedom; the expectations listed for the board; and the disciplinary strictures listed for classified supervisory and confidential management, and classified; and develop a code that applies to all of its personnel.

Standard III

Planning Agenda

Develop a professional code of ethics applicable to the entire college through a shared governance process.

2. The institution maintains a sufficient number of qualified faculty with full-time responsibility to the institution. The institution has a sufficient number of staff and administrators with appropriate preparation and experience to provide the administrative services necessary to support the institution’s mission and purposes.

Description

Taft College has expanded its staff and administrators in recent years, creating a human resources director position and staff, expanding the Instructional Office to include an associate dean of instruction, building a new program for migrant students with administration and staff, and creating the Distance Learning

Institute with director and staff.

The campus is committed to the

75-25 rule for full-time to part-

21 time faculty hiring.

Self-Evaluation

With the expansion of administrative personnel, the college is meeting vital responsibilities as it should.


101

Regarding faculty, the college follows the 75-25 rule, but there has been an ongoing discussion of how to assess teaching versus nonteaching faculty. It has been suggested that if current nonteaching faculty were not counted as faculty, Taft College would not meet that criterion, allowing more full-time faculty to be hired, especially in areas where faculty regularly teach double loads or have overly large class sizes (since

Taft College advertises small class sizes). It needs to be determined if the non-teaching faculty should be included in calculating Taft

College’s compliance with the 75-

25 rule, and in assessing the institution’s responsibility, it may be necessary to address this issue.

Regarding a sufficient number of staff, administrators, and faculty, it is important to recognize the salient fact that Taft College is one of the smallest colleges in

California. It has been noted that personnel at Taft College often wear many hats, serving the needs of the institution in ways that would be unheard of at larger institutions. The small campus reality demands diversification of knowledge and ability rather than specialization alone. It may be that this is the best approach, as an ivory tower is a luxury Taft College cannot afford, being ill-suited to meeting the needs of its current community of students.

102

Planning Agenda

While Taft College is meeting the needs of its community at this time, addressing the issue of including non-teaching faculty in calculating the college’s compliance with the 75-25 rule could pave the way for improvements in the quality of service.

3. The institution systematically develops personnel policies and procedures that are available for information and review. Such policies and procedures are equitably and consistently administered.

Description

Taft College meets this need through its board policies and procedures. These are available for information and review, and the college is committed to their equitable and consistent administration.

Self-Evaluation

There is an ongoing project to revise the board policies and procedures. The policies are now complete, but the procedures are still undergoing changes. This is a regular priority for the Human

Resources Department and the

Board of Trustees.

22

Planning Agenda

None.

Standard III a. The institution establishes and adheres to written policies ensuring fairness in all employment procedures.

Description

Board Policies and Procedures is the charter of Taft College.

Several policies address the recruitment and hiring of new staff.

These policies ensure that Taft

College provides equal opportunities for employment, regardless of race, sex, national origin, or religious affiliation.

23 Taft

College is committed to diversity, as stated in Board Policy 7100.

24

Board policies guide the process for interviewing and screening prospective employees.

Self-Evaluation


Planning Agenda

None. b. The institution makes provision for the security and confidentiality of personnel records. Each employee has access to his/her personnel records in accordance with law.

Description

Taft College keeps personnel records secure and confidential.

The records are kept in the Human


Standard III

Resources Department under lock and key. The employee may request to access and review his/her personnel file in the presence of a human resources representative. Employees may request to add any additional supplemental documents to complete their records. The release of personnel records (outside of public information) must be approved in writing by the employee.

Self-Evaluation


Planning Agenda

None.

4.

The institution demonstrates through policies and practices an appropriate understanding of and concern for issues of equity and diversity. a. The institution creates and maintains appropriate programs, practices, and services that support its diverse personnel.

Description

Taft College values and promotes equity and diversity as shown in the mission and vision statement:

―We value innovation, diversity, creativity, and critical thinking.‖

The minimum qualifications included in employee job

103 descriptions state the incumbent shall have ―a sensitivity to and understanding of the diverse academic, socioeconomic, cultural, and ethnic backgrounds of staff and students and of staff and students with physical and learning disabilities.‖ 25 The college website includes a page on diversity, with links to numerous charitable organizations and other groups that work to further the cause of cultural diversity and sensitivity.

26

Further, Board Policy 3430 states in part, ―The District is committed to providing an academic and work environment that respects the dignity of individuals and groups.‖ 27 To promote understanding of issues of equity and diversity, the college offers several courses that address social issues, including Minority Group

Relations, American Social

Problems, and Sociology of

Marriage.

28 It also encourages involvement in workshops and presentations that honor diversity, such as workshops on cultural competence, learning styles, and harassment awareness. Faculty and staff provide events or services that increase awareness such as

EOPS and CalWORKs orientations and People with disAbilities Week.

Additionally, an open door policy and a collegial atmosphere invite diverse opinions and free communication.

Self-Evaluation

Taft College is meeting the high


104 standards in this area.

Understanding of and appreciation for diversity is a core value of the college. Taft College has diverse personnel and is meeting the needs of its population of students in terms of equity and diversity.

Planning Agenda

Taft College plans to continue to have high standards in this area in a world and community that is increasingly diverse, and in order to be a model for equitable treatment for all people. b. The institution regularly assesses its record in employment equity and diversity consistent with its mission.

Description

The institution recognizes its responsibility in employment equity and diversity and strives to meet the highest standard. The

Chancellor’s Office requires a yearly report on staff demographics and salary levels.

Additionally, the Office of


Research, and Planning (IAR&P) has provided a breakdown of these data in the Preface.

The Equal Employee Opportunity

(EEO) Advisory Committee is tasked with reviewing and revising current policies and procedures, job descriptions, etc. that point to equity and diversity. An update of

Standard III

Taft College’s EEO Plan is currently underway to achieve this task.

29

Throughout recruitment, the

Human Resources Department monitors the demographics of Taft

College personnel and strives to mirror the demographics of the

Taft area. See the Demographics

Report in the Preface to this document for more information.

Self-Evaluation

The college is currently meeting its responsibilities in this area.

Planning Agenda

None. c. The institution subscribes to, advocates, and demonstrates integrity in the treatment of its administration, faculty, staff and students.

Description

Taft College has clear procedures to maintain the integrity of the fair and equitable treatment of its faculty, staff, and students and has established representative bodies to provide the advocacy and fair and equitable treatment of all faculty, staff, and students. The

Human Resources Department provides oversight and ensures equitable treatment of all campus members. Besides the general advocacy of human resources, the

Taft College Faculty Association and Academic Senate provide


Standard III representation for the faculty, and

California School Employees

Association (CSEA) Chapter 543 provides representation for classified staff.

In addition to the representative bodies, the college is guided by regulations, policies, and procedures that address equitable treatment of all individuals on and off campus.

Specific regulations include:

Title 5, Sections 53000 and

56200,

Americans with Disabilities

Act,

Title VII of the Civil Rights

Act of 1964,

Education Code, Sections

87100 and 66250, and

Family Medical Leave Act

(FMLA).

Specific policies include:

Board Policy 3410 –

Nondiscrimination, 30

Board Policy 3430 -

Prohibition of Harassment, 31

Board Policy 5140 - Student

Support Services Program, 32

Board Policy 5150 - Extended

Opportunity Programs and

Services,

Equity, 34

33

Board Policy 5300 - Student

Board Policy 7310 –

Nepotism, 35

Board Policy 7370 - Political

Activity, 36

Board Policy 7510 - Domestic

105

Partners, 37 and

Board Policy 7700 -

Whistleblower Protection.

38

The college abides by the language in the mission statement by ensuring fair treatment for all.

Self-Evaluation

There are formal processes in place to protect the integrity of faculty, staff, and students whenever any issues arise. The college consistently applies its policies and procedures to maintain the integrity of the institution and in fairness to all.

Planning Agenda

None.

5. The institution provides all personnel with appropriate opportunities for continued professional development, consistent with the institutional mission and based on identified teaching and learning needs. a. The institution plans professional development activities to meet the needs of its personnel.

Description

Taft College provides opportunities for professional growth and development to all personnel. Such training and development opportunities are provided for


106 individual employees as well as various employee groups.

Professional growth and development incentives are also offered in the form of professional growth stipends and salary schedule credit.

The Staff Development Committee provides various opportunities through 15 flex days and various

―brown bag‖ lunch seminars.

Topics of such offerings include:

Learning Styles,

Use of Technology in the

Classroom,

Student Learning Outcomes

Development,

Development of a Webpage,

How to Accommodate

Diversity in the Classroom,

Health and Welfare Benefits

Awareness,

Retirement Programs

Information,

Estate Planning,

Adult and Pediatric CPR

Training,

Library Orientation and

Databases,

State Budget Process,

Mental Health Awareness,

Dominos and Teaching:

Active Learning/Essential

Elements in the Learning

Experience,

Right Side Up Learning:

Incorporating Educational

Psychology into Teaching,

Collaborative Learning:

Teaching in Small Groups,

Clinical Teaching: Feedback and Assessment,

Standard III

Authentic Assessment in

Instruction and Student

Services,

What’s Next? Career

Exploration and Job Search

Tools, field trips: Museum of

Tolerance, Bakersfield

Museum of Art, J. Paul Getty

Museum, nuts and bolts process and committee meetings, and approved individual projects.

The Human Resources Department provides ongoing training in the following areas: new employee orientation

Screening Committee orientation sexual harassment supervisory staff training on such areas as o nuts and bolts, o Performance

Management: Evaluation and Discipline, o The Disability Interactive

Process, o Discrimination and

Retaliation, o Promoting Safety, o Privacy Issues, o Managing the Marginal

Employee, o Family Medical Leave Act, o 12 Steps to Avoiding

Liability, o Generational Diversity, and o worker’s compensation and other laws.


Standard III

Attendance to appropriate workshops/conferences for faculty and staff is encouraged as approved by campus supervisors.

Self-Evaluation

The college supports these endeavors through educational credit and payment of appropriate conference/workshop expenses, including mileage.

Planning Agenda

None. b. With the assistance of the participants, the institution systematically evaluates professional development programs and uses the results of these evaluations as the basis for improvement.

Description

The Staff Development Committee training opportunities are evaluated by the attendees of each session and then reviewed for effectiveness by the committee. On a periodic basis, the committee sends out a survey to the general campus community to gather feedback on past training opportunities and to collect suggestions for future offerings.

The Human Resources Department meets regularly with supervisory staff, administrators, faculty, and staff leaders to evaluate if training

107 needs are being met and to develop ideas for areas that are not being met.

The Office of Institutional


Planning also sends out questionnaires to attendees to evaluate the effectiveness of these efforts.

Self-Evaluation

While Taft College is meeting the standards in this area, addition of a

Human Resources Campus Climate

Survey would be beneficial.

Ongoing efforts for assessment of current professional growth and development programs and direct input from the campus on designing and presenting timely, essential training programs and workshops is paramount.

Planning Agenda

None.

6. Human resource planning is integrated with institutional planning. The institution systematically assesses the effective use of human resources and uses the results of the evaluation as the basis for improvement.

Description

Taft College has a shared governance process that provides ongoing feedback to the Human

Resources Department.


108

Information regarding staffing needs is generated in discussions in various campus arenas, for example, through a faculty prioritization process and with recommendations from campus directors. The Planning Council meets twice a month to provide guidance on campus projects and to select the direction of campus resources. Recently, Taft College hired a consultant to improve the strategic planning process, so it will be more fully integrated into the campus dynamic. Every six years, the effectiveness of the

Human Resources Department is evaluated through a survey. The faculty and staff survey that was administered in spring 2008 indicated that respondents ranked the Human Resources Department as the most effective department on campus with a score of 3.28 out of 4.0.

39

Standard III

Self-Evaluation

Regarding the systematic assessment of the effective use of the Human Resources Department, it was noted that there is more of an ongoing practical assessment process (given the limited number of personnel and their daily interaction) rather than a formal review process. This practical approach is viewed as a positive aspect of shared governance. A review process is in place, and the

Human Resources Department is involved with the Planning Council on campus.

Planning Agenda

None.


Standard III 109

____________________________________________________________

Taft College students relax and study between classes in the spacious new library.

____________________________________________________________

B. Physical Resources

Physical resources, which include facilities, equipment, land, and other assets, support student learning programs and services and improve institutional effectiveness. Physical resource planning is integrated with institutional planning.

1. The institution provides safe and sufficient physical resources that support and assure the integrity and quality of its programs and services, regardless of location or means of delivery. a. The institution plans, builds, maintains, and upgrades or replaces its physical resources in a manner that assures effective utilization and the continuing quality necessary to support its


110 programs and services.

Description

Taft College on-campus facilities include a two-story Student

Services and Administration building, Library and Learning

Resource Center, Distance

Learning Center, vocational and technical arts buildings, science building, cafeteria, Student

Assistance Center, Student Union, bookstore, Child Development

Center, Sports Center, dental hygiene buildings, maintenance and operations facilities, Ash Street and 7th Street residence halls,

Transition to Independent Living

(TIL) buildings/Student Support

Services (SSS), and additional modular buildings for a total square footage of 211,537.

Westside Energy Services Training and Education Center (WESTEC) and the North Kern Training Center

(NKTC) are located off campus.

Baseball and softball fields are located on campus, as well as four parking lots for students and staff.

The college’s physical resources are sufficient to support the integrity and quality of the college's programs and services.


District's comprehensive facilities planning activities ensure that its physical resources are planned and constructed for effective utilization at Taft College. The Facilities

Master Plan was developed with broad-based input from the entire campus.

40 The Facilities

Standard III

Committee, a subcommittee of the

Planning Council, oversees the development of the master plan.

41 needs are identified, the Facilities

Committee works to integrate

When broad campus-wide goals or them into the master plan. Once the master plan is modified, it is shared across campus and on the college website for input and discussion. Once individual projects are approved, the campus architects and facilities staff meet with the Taft College stakeholders to identify the programmatic requirements of the project, develop schematic designs, and ultimately progress to the creation of construction documents. The construction documents allow the project to be sent to the Division of the State Architect (DSA) and the

Chancellor's Office for approval and eventually to be put out to bid. The project committee, including stakeholders, continues to meet regarding the project, although these meetings are less frequent during the construction phase.

Once the project is nearly complete, the committee begins to meet again more frequently to select equipment, furniture, and to discuss the move-in schedule for the new or remodeled building.

Taft College's scheduled maintenance program ensures that the facilities are operating as required to support the programs and services. The maintenance of the college is under the purview of the director of maintenance and operations who reports directly to


Standard III the vice president of administrative services. Maintenance staff maintains a schedule for the maintenance of all buildings and equipment. The maintenance staff oversees resources such as life safety systems, roofing and building envelope systems, elevators, interior wall/floor/ceiling systems, and plumbing systems.

With the development of the

Facilities Master Plan and the passage of a general obligation bond 42 in the amount of $39.8 million in 2004, the campus has begun a massive overhaul of almost all of its facilities. The general obligation bond funds have been used as "match money" in many instances to attract larger amounts through the State's

Capital Outlay program. Other funding sources include the

Community College Chancellor's

Office Scheduled Maintenance and

Special Repairs Program and the issuance of Certificates of

Participation. In total, the capital construction program will be an estimated $120 million.

Several projects have already been completed and are an example of

Taft College's commitment to upgrade and replace its facilities in order to support all programs and services adequately.

The projects already completed or already in construction are:

111

New Child Development Center

This project is a partial replacement of existing relocatables with a permanent building. The 9,400 square foot project consists of three activity rooms supporting 75 children and related support space. The core of the building is designed to support this project and future growth.

Core spaces include kitchen and related food storage, office space, meeting rooms, and related administration functions. The project also includes interior observation space to facilitate campus instruction in early childhood studies. The playgrounds have been expanded to allow for separate age-based play areas. A controlled path that enters the new facility and discharges to the individual activity rooms at the site allows for supervision of children.

The facility opened for use in

January, 2007, with playground and site work completed in

October, 2008.

Addition of Modular Swing Space to

Support Modernization of Other

Classroom Buildings

This project, located near the campus gym, includes the site work and the addition of eight modular classrooms, two office buildings, a modular restroom, and a multi-purpose space that will be used as a Student Union. This project was necessary to provide the swing space needed to modernize the science and


112 technical arts classroom buildings.

Once those projects are complete, this space will be removed or used for another campus purpose.

New Library and Learning Resource

Center and Modernization of

Administration Building

This 45,000 square foot dynamic project is a major reconstruction of the existing main administration

Building and an addition/replacement of the library/LRC buildings. The existing two floors of the main building have been converted into Student

Services on the first floor and

Administration on the second floor.

A new entry at the building midpoint provides identity to the

"one-stop shop" student services component.

The existing library building has been replaced with a single story addition adjacent to the main building. Core spaces include library stacks, quiet reading and study areas, private group study rooms, office space, meeting rooms, and space for related functions. The project also includes a children's library space. The library contains the Learning

Resources Center (LRC) that has been re-modernized to facilitate a new computer commons area with support spaces.

The architecture is a blend of modern styles that maintains the existing campus language while at the same time introducing new


Standard III elements and materials into the campus to symbolize the future development and growth that are planned at Taft College. This core project sets the first impression for all people that visit the campus.

Modernization of Science and Math

Classroom Building

This project was the first modernization of a classroom building and involved four labs and two classrooms and the expansion of lab-prep space. Additionally, the new building provides specialized chemical storage and updated fume hoods for chemistry labs.

The science building also houses the servers for the campus MIS computer and Voice Over Internet

Protocol (VOIP) phone system.

Other features of the remodeling include updated faculty offices and the addition of a new conference room.

Addition of Campus Central Plant with Chilled Water Loop

Inefficient heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) units have been replaced with a state of the art central plant and chilled water loop that will eventually cool all modernized and new buildings.

This will provide a more consistent classroom, lab, and office environment as well as a long term cost savings for the district.

Standard III

Campus Technology Upgrade

Taft College’s aging technological infrastructure is being replaced and upgraded with a new Enterprise

Resource Planning (ERP) system and a new server and network system, all connected with new fiber optic networks and switches.

Additionally, the following projects are in planning or will begin soon: modernization of technical arts classroom building, new Transition to

Independent Living program building and living area, new vocational lab building, modernization of gymnasium, closure of Emmons Park

Road and new access to campus, upgrade of campus parking, several landscaping or site work projects, renovation of dormitories, and modernization of Campus

Center (cafeteria and

Student Union).

Additional projects have been discussed and could possibly be included in the master plan; however, additional funding would be necessary to develop those further.

Self-Evaluation

The college meets the standard.

The activities described above

113 demonstrate how the institution plans, builds, maintains, and upgrades or replaces its physical resources in a manner that assures effective utilization and the continuing quality necessary to support its programs and services.

In a recent survey, when asked if classrooms are adequately maintained and equipped to enhance student learning, over

85% of students said they were satisfied or neutral.

43 While this result reaffirms the college’s positive student learning experience in the classroom in terms of adequate equipment and maintenance, 15% of students expressed dissatisfaction.

The implementation of the

College’s scheduled maintenance program is challenged by the current level of facilities staffing.

Industry standard is one custodian per 40,000 assignable square feet and one skilled maintenance worker per 40,000 assignable square feet. Taft College’s current ratios of one custodian per 70,000 square feet and one maintenance worker per 70,000 square feet are below industry standards.

Planning Agenda

Conduct additional student surveys to continue to improve satisfaction with classroom equipment and maintenance to enhance student learning.

Analyze the facilities funding allocation model to provide more


114 staffing.

Implement program review in the

Maintenance and Operations

Department. b. The institution assures that physical resources at all locations where it offers courses, programs, and services are constructed and maintained to assure access, safety, security, and a healthful learning and working environment.

Description

All physical facilities at all sites are regularly reviewed for access and barrier removal, safety, and a healthful environment. Accessibility for all individuals is a priority at

Taft College. As part of the Capital

Facilities Improvement Program,

Taft College strives to construct its facilities so that they are accessible to the disabled community. All construction projects are submitted to the Division of the State

Architects 44 and receive an accessibility compliance review. In addition, disabled students’ programs and services consult on facilities projects to ensure that disabled students, staff, and visitors have access.

The college takes pride in providing a safe environment for students and staff. Select departments at high risk of accidents and injury receive safety training. A reporting process for accidents and injuries

Standard III exists through the Human

Resources Department.

45 Annual safety inspections are performed with the college’s property and liability insurance provider and the

Kern County Fire Department.

Additional lighting on campus as part of the college’s modernization program is being provided to enhance the safety and security of the campus environment. The college employs in-house security personnel.

Security cameras have been installed at the dorms on 7 th Street and on Ash Street. As each project is completed, security cameras are being added to exterior walkways and public areas. Additionally, several Code Blue emergency stations have been installed at key locations on campus and more will be added as the campus continues to upgrade its facilities.

Card access readers have been installed in the Child Care Center building, Student Services building, and library. This security feature will be standard for all exterior doors in new buildings.

The safety of residential students is of paramount importance.

Therefore, security cameras have been installed in all dorm facilities.

As each project in the Facilities

Master Plan is completed, security cameras are added. Ultimately, the entire campus will be covered by a security network. Card access readers have been installed in the

Child Care Center building, the


Standard III

Student Services/Administration building, and the library. The Code

Blue system is being implemented throughout the campus as part of the Facilities Capital Improvement

Program. Emergency preparedness is under the direction of the vice president of administrative services, who is being trained through the state’s Emergency

Preparedness program. Once having received this training, he will work with campus constituents to develop the campus Emergency

Preparedness Plan.

Self-Evaluation

This standard is met. Since Taft

College’s last accreditation site visit, the campus has completed several projects to enhance the physical environment to better support learning. Through the

Facilities Capital Improvement

Plan, the campus is assuring compliance with this standard.

Planning Agenda

Taft College will work to develop a campus wide Safety Plan and an

Emergency Preparedness Plan as required by the Chancellor’s Office.

The college has a facilities planning process and is developing a strategic planning process so that the two processes will be linked.

2. To assure the feasibility and effectiveness of physical resources in supporting institutional programs and

115 services, the institution plans and evaluates its facilities and equipment on a regular basis, taking utilization and other relevant data into account. a. Long-range capital plans support institutional improvement goals and reflect projections of the total cost of ownership of new facilities and equipment.

Description

Over the past five years, Taft

College has considerably modernized or replaced many of its facilities. The modernization program was driven by an observed need that was identified through various methods including faculty, staff, and student surveys.

46 Formulas provided by the California Community Colleges

drove Chancellor’s Office 47 utilization.

The district has a five-year

Facilities Plan, as per California

Community Colleges’ Chancellor’s

Office requirements.

48 Facilities condition and usage information is entered into the community colleges’ Facility Utilization Space

Inventory Option Net (FUSION) system.

49 As Taft College applies for projects, those data can easily be pulled and evaluated. The

Planning Council and the Facilities

Committee play important roles in overall facilities planning.

Stakeholders are consulted with


116 regard to modifications in their area.

50

Self-Evaluation

With the help of the Facilities Task

Force and the district architect, a

Facilities Plan has been developed.

Recommendations from the

Facilities Task Force will be taken to the campus Planning Council for review and recommendations.

Planning Agenda

Taft College intends to develop an educational master planning process and plan to drive the facilities planning process. b. Physical resource planning is integrated with institutional planning. The institution systematically assesses the effective use of physical resources and uses the results of the evaluation as the basis for improvement.

Description

The Taft College Facilities

Committee is a subcommittee of the Planning Council and includes broad representation of the campus community. When Taft

Standard III

College created the Facilities Plan, it began by looking at the space utilization and capacity load ratios provided by the Chancellor’s Office.

After reviewing those data, the college developed a plan to bring its campus in line with usage standards for state facilities. As a result, overall classroom space was reduced, and library and learning resource space was increased in order to qualify for capital outlay funding. Annually, administrative services staff review space allocations for the campus to guide the creation of the five-year construction plan. The Planning

Council retains overall control of the five-year planning process.

Self-Evaluation

The college meets this standard.

The facilities planning process ensures that physical resource planning is integrated with institutional planning and that the use of physical resources is reviewed regularly for efficiency and effectiveness.

Planning Agenda

None.


Standard III 117

____________________________________________________________

Transition to Independent Living students sing a duet on Karaoke Day.

____________________________________________________________

C. Technology Resources

Technology resources are used to support student learning programs and services and to improve institutional effectiveness.

Technology planning is integrated with institutional planning.

1. The institution assures that any technology support it provides is designed to meet the needs of learning, teaching, college-wide communications, research, and operational systems. a. Technology services, professional support, facilities, hardware, and software are designed to enhance the operation and effectiveness of the institution.

Description

Taft College provides Information

Technology (IT) staff to support and maintain all institutional technology needs. IT provides a variety of services including:

Maintenance of all campus


118 hardware, such as computer, servers, networks, phones, printers, video conferencing equipment, multimedia equipment, and technology infrastructure

Maintenance of selected campus software

Development and maintenance of campus enrollment management system (Banner)

Software training for faculty and staff

Recommendations for purchases of technology resources

Development and maintenance of the campus website

Additionally, Taft College has created a training room equipped with a dozen workstations and presentation equipment. All workstations are tied into a fully implemented Banner training environment as well as the campus

Banner production environment.

Video and audio recording equipment can be used to capture training sessions for use by faculty and staff via downloaded videos.

Self-Evaluation

As an institution, Taft College embraces technology. IT helps to identify, create, implement, and maintain effective and efficient technological solutions for the campus. The standard is met.

Standard III

Planning Agenda

None. b. The institution provides quality training in the effective application of its information technology to students and personnel.

Description

Staff and faculty are provided training via several methods.

Experts are brought to campus to conduct training on the use of administrative and educational software. Off-site and online training are available to individuals who need or prefer those avenues of learning.

The Staff Development Committee meets throughout the academic year to plan technology training for each inservice period.

51 IT conducts training to enhance the knowledge and skills of faculty and staff.

Counseling staff offer students an orientation on the CCCApply software that handles registration and on self-service applications in

Banner for adding and dropping courses. These services are available through the counseling center and in the Center for

Academic Success and Assistance

(CASA).

Self-Evaluation

Taft College consistently provides


Standard III training on request to all departments and staff. The Staff

Development Committee, which is responsible for coordinating learning activities for faculty and staff, 52 gathers information from its peer membership and makes recommendations for training and education.

Participants evaluate training sessions, and the results are sent to the Staff Development

Committee for review to ensure quality. Responses from staff and faculty have been positive, and past evaluations show training to be effective. The standard is met.

Planning Agenda

None. c. The institution systematically plans, acquires, maintains, and upgrades or replaces technology infrastructure and equipment to meet institutional needs.

Description

Taft College continuously replaces and upgrades its computing network, hardware, software, and intra-building wiring as resources permit. Additionally, the school has installed wireless internet and network access available to all employees and students throughout the campus.

The Information Technology

Committee (ITC) meets regularly


119 to plan and create specifications for computer and peripheral equipment to be used by Taft

College. The group discusses computer lab needs and recommends standards for desktops, printers, scanners and laptops. The IT Department provides a spreadsheet of models and configurations that are currently in use so ITC can make informed decisions when recommending specific needs and timelines for projects.

Self-Evaluation

While the college has taken steps to completely upgrade the technology infrastructure and equipment on campus, this process is not systematic in the sense that it has been sporadic. Through the work of the ITC, institutional needs are being met.

As is typical of small community colleges, lack of IT staff has been an ongoing challenge. To compensate for lack of resources, district voters passed Measure A in

2004, which provided additional funds for technology improvement and development.

53

Because technology changes constantly, Taft College’s technological needs will also change. Keeping up with the pace of development is an ongoing challenge.

120

Planning Agenda

Formalize the process of planning and responding to technological needs. d. The distribution and utilization of technology resources support the development, maintenance, and enhancement of its programs and services.

Description

Taft College has been proactive in meeting the technological needs of the campus community. At this point in time, employees are equipped with desktop computers, laptop computers, and other technological devices as appropriate.

A majority of Taft College students take courses through distance learning. The college employs a coordinator of distance education and a technician, both of whom provide full-time oversight of

Etudes, our distance learning delivery platform. All instructors who teach through Etudes must complete a three-week training course provided by Foothill

Community College.

Given that so many students at

Taft College may not possess a computer at home, providing technological support is an essential component of Taft

College’s mission. In a recent evaluation of students’ computer

Standard III use on campus, 44.7% of students indicated that they sometimes or often use computers provided by the college.

54 Furthermore, 71.6% indicated that these services are somewhat or very important to them. Importantly, 52.9% indicated that they were somewhat or very satisfied with these services. It should be noted that these percentages are somewhat skewed due to the inclusion of respondents who answered ―N/A.‖

Since the 2007 administration of the survey, numerous improvements have occurred on campus in regards to technology available to students.

Taft College has received several grants to augment student access to technology. Among these are a

Student Support Partnership

Integrating Resources and

Education (SSPIRE) grant; three

Title V grants; and a Science,

Technology, Engineering, and Math

(STEM) grant totaling approximately $7 million. The funds have been used to purchase laptop computers for student use, tablet PCs for special projects and classes, multimedia technology for classroom presentations, a greenhouse, and a mobile science lab for community outreach activities. This lab is being developed in conjunction with the

Lewis Center.

55 The Title V grant funds have also been used to develop a virtual transfer center where students can create educational plans and research career options.

56


Standard III 121

Taft College has the only videoconference site on the west side of Kern County. The Human

Resources Department has made extensive use of the equipment for trainings and workshops.

Self-Evaluation

This standard is met.

Planning Agenda

None.

____________________________________________________________

Taft College students test their skills during the Battle of the Sexes.

____________________________________________________________

2. Technology planning is integrated with institutional planning. The institution systematically assesses the effective use of technology resources and uses the results of evaluation as the basis for improvement.

Description

Technology planning takes place with the Information Technology

Committee consisting of members of the administration, faculty, and classified staff. The committee reviews current and future needs of the college, responds to


122 accreditation team site visits, 57 gives recommendations to the

and superintendent/president for funding projects.

In 2003, a consultant was hired to guide Taft College’s efforts in data collection for evaluation of needs with technology, data processes, and analysis.

58 This preliminary activity led to many internal evaluations, off-site visits, and collaborative information seeking between institutions to develop a basic understanding of the college’s needs.

In March, 2004, the Information

Technology Committee met to produce four goal statements and eleven action items as a result of the previous year’s research efforts.

59 Accessibility to information was identified as a critical goal, and the committee proposed to develop decision support systems, human resource systems, career exploration systems, intranet, and an integrated administrative demographics and student administration system to address this goal.

An internal memo to support the need for new systems development was made in May, 2004.

60 This initial inquiry developed into a

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) consortium project by July.

61 A brainstorming session that included representatives from most areas of the college, conducted by

Advantiv, Inc. from July through

Standard III

November and produced a

Brainstorming Transcript FV21.1

One hallmark result of these

62 useful to the institution’s planning. sessions was the decision to prepare a Request for Proposals

(RFP) to address Taft College’s ERP needs in early 2005.

63 The proposal was released, and by December,

2005, the decision was made to install the Banner student management system and an installation timeline was developed by both the Information

Technology Committee and Pat

Tryrell-Smith of FCCC.

64 Data

Standards were established for Taft

College’s Cougar Tracks (Banner) project in 2006 and revised in

2007.

65 The installation of this system in still in progress.

Presently, there is no formal system in place for ITC to report to the Planning Council. Several members serve on both the ITC and the Planning Council, resulting in only an informal communication link between the two bodies.

Self-Evaluation

The ITC group reviews information and presentations and submits recommendations to the superintendent/president. An example of a campus project is the replacement of the campus antiquated phone system with a new Cisco VOIP system.

Once the superintendent/president approves a recommendation from


Standard III the ITC group, IT staff will implement the project to most effectively support the institutional goals. The institution currently lacks the staff to keep up in some areas and is looking at solutions to adequately meet the institution’s needs.

There is an informal connection between institutional and technological planning.

Communication exchange happens at the personal level and across campus. Individuals among faculty and staff who are knowledgeable and/or interested in technological issues come forward with ideas/requests and are typically supported by the ITC, who forwards them to the appropriate committees or departments or administrators.

123

Planning Agenda

An annual review by faculty and staff will be conducted with the help of existing surveys and

HelpDesk software, which allows IT to attach evaluations to service requests.

The ITC group will meet monthly throughout the academic year. The group will continue to review plans for technology improvements and future development.

Taft College will survey staff and faculty on an ongoing basis regarding different campus areas’ needs.

Taft College will integrate technology planning into the strategic planning process.


124 Standard III

____________________________________________________________

Supplemental Instructional Assistants and students meet in the clubhouse.

____________________________________________________________

D. Financial Resources

Financial resources are sufficient to support student learning programs and services and to improve institutional effectiveness. The distribution of resources supports the development, maintenance, and enhancement of programs and services. The institution plans and manages its financial affairs with integrity and in a manner that ensures financial stability. The level of financial resources provides a reasonable expectation of both short-term and long-term financial solvency. Financial resources planning is integrated with institutional planning.

1. a.

The institution relies upon its mission and goals as the foundation for financial planning.

Financial planning is integrated with and supports all institutional planning.


Standard III

Description

Taft College is committed to offering students a quality education and higher learning experience which is only made possible by sound financial decisions based upon planning, evaluation, and continuous improvement cycles. The Planning

Council strives to integrate institutional planning with the financial planning process.

However, this approach has been sporadic because of the lack of a clearly defined strategic planning process that spans institutional functioning.

The Planning Council has oversight on the Budget Development

Calendar, 66 a financial planning timeline which is shared throughout various campus committees and departments. The current process includes a bottom- up approach to budgeting.

Departments submit budget proposals based on program needs determined by student needs and concerns. Program reviews conducted by instructional divisions and student services units help identify these needs. Proposed budgets and programs are then submitted to the Planning Council, which gives feedback and input to the departments. The Planning

Council makes its meeting minutes available on the Taft College IAR&P website to provide accountability and to establish a forum for continuing dialogue over the entire planning process here at the

125 college.

67

Self-Evaluation

Taft College does not meet this standard. Monthly committee meeting minutes show the Planning

Council uses financial planning as a guiding element in their institutional planning efforts; however, those efforts fall below the criteria established by the standard.

Taft College has retained the services of the Datatel Center for

Institutional Effectiveness to assist the college with developing a strategic planning process linked to budgeting.

68 The process is approximately 50% complete.

Planning Agenda

Taft College does not have documentation showing specific linkages between long-range financial planning and its mission and goals. The college will continue to integrate its financial planning process with its strategic planning process. b. Institutional planning reflects realistic assessment of financial resource availability, development of financial resources, partnerships, and expenditure requirements.

Description

Institutional planning takes into account fiscal projections from the


126 state based upon current and projected enrollment levels.

Expenditures over time, other local revenues, grants and their long term availability, partnerships with industry and The Taft College

Foundation, and economic environmental changes are all reviewed for current amounts and changes over time to assess their potential impact on institutional planning. The results of these efforts are made available to the public through audited financial statements.

69

The Taft College Foundation works with college representation to broaden campus and community relations.

70

Self-Evaluation

This standard is met. Taft College's long-range planning incorporates both the short-term and long-term views and uses them to match anticipated and projected revenue and expense streams. New partnerships are actively sought to augment and innovate programs.

All campus constituencies participate in the budgeting process to meet projected student needs.

71

Planning Agenda

None. c. When making short-range financial plans, the institution considers its long-range

Standard III financial priorities to assure financial stability. The institution clearly identifies and plans for payment of liabilities and future obligations.

Description

When the college makes fiscal plans, it weighs both short-term needs and long-term fiscal obligations in its decisions. All plans must align with the Taft

College Mission and Vision

Statement. For example, changes to existing health benefit packages will potentially reduce costs while maintaining a high benefit level.

Taft College has established a

Governmental Accounting

72

Standards Board (GASB) 43 and 45 compliant trust for the investment of funds for other post employment benefits. This will ensure that, as short range financial plans are made, long range priorities are funded.

73

To assist with the development of short range financial plans, management and staff will be able to monitor financial budgets in

Banner, the college's fiscal system of record. Monthly fiscal reports are provided to the WKCCD

Board.

74

Self-Evaluation

Although this standard is met, because of the new implementation of Banner, ongoing training needs


Standard III to occur so new and existing employees in new positions of responsibility understand and can use the software to its fullest.

Ongoing training in Banner's fiscal monitoring will empower those using the system to make better decisions by more clearly understanding the budget and expenditure processes. Further training in clarifying the accounting system helps to eliminate doubt of integrity or reporting processes and provides employees with appropriate systemic tools.

Planning Agenda

For the Banner management system to function effectively, all staff with budget responsibilities, department chairs, department leads, directors, and employees involved in grants and grant monitoring need access and training to understand the tools available to them. d. The institution clearly defines and follows its guidelines and processes for financial planning and budget development, with all constituencies having appropriate opportunities to participate in the development of institutional plans and budgets.

Description

Financial planning and budget development processes have been developed at college-wide

127 committees with representation from all employee groups. The

Annual Budget Development

Calendar, which reflects the results of the collaborative efforts, was developed by the Taft College

Planning Council.

Self-Evaluation

This standard is met. The College's processes for financial planning and budget development are published and clear. All stakeholders are extended multiple opportunities to participate in planning and budgeting. Division chairs are appointed to the

Planning Council to allow for broad representation and faculty input.

75

Members follow established policies and procedures as shown in the board minutes, and external audits document compliance to fiscal guidelines and standards. The

Planning Council represents all areas of campus and oversees financial planning and budget development.

76

Planning Agenda

Taft College is developing an electronic Budget Development

Calendar and other tools on the college intranet.

2. To assure the financial integrity of the institution and responsible use of financial resources, the financial management system has appropriate control mechanisms and


128 widely disseminates dependable and timely information for sound financial decision making.

Description

Several tools have been developed to not only control and support the separation of duties and responsibilities throughout the system, but also to ensure and safeguard the fiscal assets of this establishment.

Self-Evaluation

This standard is partly met by use of Banner administrative system and partly met by use of independent auditing firms. The college implements the following financial procedures:

Reserve bank statements and Audited Financial

Statements from an external auditor are used to control

Taft College reserve funds as summarized in the Taft

College annual audits;

The college president provides updates in the form of FirstClass e-mails on budget and college finances that include statewide updates on the state of

California's economy, budget, and compliance issues statewide; 77

Performance reports are given to the Board of

Trustees at monthly meetings;

Standard III

Taft College’s use of funds is audited and reported in the

Audited Financial Statements from an external auditor; and

Banner, the college financial management software, has fiscal controls and supports the separation of duties among staff. For example, staff who enter the purchase orders do not have approving capability. Banner allows managers to create and access reports as needed.

Planning Agenda

The college plans to increase training in the use of Banner and its reporting functions. This ongoing fiscal training will be offered to new employees and to those employees who need a refresher course in its processes.

The vice president of administrative services is developing a Fiscal Tips FAQ sheet for staff to utilize as a resource for better utilizing Banner fiscal processes.

The college plans on making financial reports available on the college website for easy access by all stakeholders. Not all staff can attend a board meeting, so this will provide an avenue of communication for fiscal year-todate comparisons between actual expenses and budgets. a. Financial documents, including the budget and


Standard III independent audit, reflect appropriate allocation and use of financial resources to support student learning programs and services.

Institutional responses to external audit findings are comprehensive, timely, and communicated appropriately.

Description

In compliance with Education Code

84040, district financial documents are annually audited by an outside agency. The independent audit reviews all district funds including district auxiliary and enterprise operations. The audit also reconciles differences between the

CCFS-311 reports and the audit findings.

78

Self-Evaluation

This standard section is met. The budget and audit documents verify the sources and uses of funds in accordance with the planning documents. Taft College takes audit recommendations seriously and is not lax in their remediation efforts. External audits are done annually. The district records the recommended audit adjustments by its external auditors as part of the annual reconciliation process.

Planning Agenda

Taft College anticipates publishing planning, budget, and audit reports on the IAR&P website for ease of access to all stakeholders.


129

The college will continue to update and comply with regulatory reporting requirements. b. Appropriate financial information is provided throughout the institution.

Description

The Banner system is a central repository of financial information from classroom needs to approved budgets and variance analysis reports on each program’s expenditures. Internal e-mails frequently convey financial information across the campus.

Self-Evaluation

This standard is met, but effectiveness can be improved.

Taft College purchased Banner, and training began in June of 2006.

The software was implemented and partially operational on July 1,

2007. Banner was purchased to eke out more information and to provide greater internal controls than was possible in the college's old POISE system. With Banner, data entry is done by every department whose members are most familiar with the data. This singular change integrates greater quality control over the data in all of the college’s active models

(student, financial aid, and finance).

130

Planning Agenda

Long-range plans include posting of a budget development calendar and other tools on the local network for staff. Internal and local committees will have budgets and expenditure reports on regularly scheduled times.

The Human Resources module for

Banner was activated in January

2009. This new module allows even greater control over tracking personnel budgets, actual payroll costs, and benefit expenses.

Currently, all payrolls are done through the Kern County

Superintendent of Schools which continues to create some timing issues for the monitoring and submission of data. With the implementation of the HR module, greater accuracy of tracking budget and expense down to the FOAPAL level (fund, org, account, and program) should occur. c. The institution has sufficient cash flow and reserves to maintain stability, strategies for appropriate risk management, and realistic plans to meet financial emergencies and unforeseen occurrences.

Description

The WKCCD continues to maintain its historically conservative fiscal policy. One college goal is to maintain at least a 5% general unrestricted reserve. Not only does

Standard III this goal meet state requirements, but it also ensures that expenditures and expenses are funded timely to create a positive view with campus vendors and the community regarding the campus’s fiscal stability.

Self-Evaluation

This standard section is met. Taft

College board and president have worked diligently to accumulate a reserve fund balance as a financial buffer during economically stressful times. The Planning Council and

Board of Trustees use risk management techniques to not only assess and predict possible consequences, but also to design and implement contingencies in response to them to help ensure institutional viability during turbulent times.

Current audited financial statements disclose a reserve of

$1,647,446. This is the amount budgeted for FY08-09, and it was based upon fiscal information from the state when the Adopted Budget was developed.

Planning Agenda

The college will continue to adhere to conservative fiscal standards, dedicate itself to saving even more funds, and to build reserves for lean fiscal years that most assuredly are ahead for the State of California. d. The institution practices


Standard III effective oversight of finances, including management of financial aid, grants, externally funded programs, contractual relationships, auxiliary organizations or foundations, and institutional investments and assets.

Description

Internal, local oversight is provided by trained and competent personnel who administer the various funding sources through their programs. Personnel are afforded the opportunity to continually update their skills as legislation brings about new requirements and challenges.

At Taft College, each local department is given administrative oversight. Upper level administrative teams provide accountability for each program, lender, financial agency, and stakeholder group as attested by the college’s annually audited

Statement of Financial Condition.

Self-Evaluation

This standard section is met.

External audits provide assurance and compliance to grant and regulatory reporting requirements.

Internally, Banner provides fiscal controls and multiple accountability reports. At Taft College, job descriptions tie employees’ fiscal responsibility to their positions. By

131 doing so, accountability is written into and becomes an expected result of their job performance.

Planning Agenda

Ongoing training and Fiscal Tips or

FAQs will be developed as a part of the continuous fiscal quality control program at the college. e. All financial resources, including those from auxiliary activities, fund-raising efforts, and grants are used with integrity in a manner consistent with the mission and goals of the institution.

Description

Every financial resource of the college is specifically identified and accounted for as a separate component of the whole picture.

Nearly all the funds are budgetdriven. Each resource’s sources and uses of funds are reported periodically to consumer groups and are overseen by fund administrators specifically involved with the fund. These, in turn, are overseen by the accounting staff in the college. The entire group of financial resources is verified through the annual audit and is attested to by the auditors’

Statement of Financial Condition.

The Planning Council reviews every initial program application and seeks compatibility with the college’s mission and vision statement. The WKCCD board


132 gives programs their final stamp of approval. Once a program passes these criteria, the Planning Council approves the grant application.

Grant-driven program funds are administered by local program administrators who are responsible for aligning spending and resources with program and student needs.

Accountability and integrity of grant funds are insured by annual independent audits.

Self-Evaluation

This standard section is met. Taft

College operates under West Kern

Community College District Board

Policies which govern the treatment of auxiliary, fundraising, and grant activities. The

Taft College Foundation and the

Planning Council also generate financial data and provide accountability for the administration and use of these funds. Between the board’s policies, strong internal controls, and the college's external audits, all stakeholders are given assurances of full and complete accountability over all funds.

Policies establishing approval processes on expenditures are supported by the WKCCD Board

Policies on Business and Fiscal

Services, Chapter 6.

Planning Agenda

Taft College has varied its process formats over the years as found in the budget highlights and changes


Standard III reflected in the FY08-09 Adopted

Budget of West Kern Community

College District. A combination of new and old formats will be utilized in FY09-10. A narrative column will be added adjacent to each budget line item. Other columns will be added to show how the budget request is linked to the planning arm of program review, to student learning outcomes, and the college's strategic plan.

Internal users and managers of funds sometimes find it difficult to understand the accounting treatment and spreadsheets used to control their spending. When

Banner is fully implemented, fund managers will no longer have to work outside the accounting system, but will be tracking their expenditures as they occur.

Banner's financial reports can be designed to disclose details at whatever level is needed by the user. Training in the fiscal features of Banner will continue, and ongoing training to update software users in the planning stage. f. Contractual agreements with external entities are consistent with the mission and goals of the institution, governed by institutional policies, and contain appropriate provisions to maintain the integrity of the institution.

Standard III

Description

The very narrow scope of power to contractually bind the college is concentrated in the hands of the college president who is afforded oversight by the Board of Trustees.

The superintendent/president and the Board of Trustees are deeply involved in creating the mission, vision, and goal statements for the college and are cognizant of them when making their decisions to contract with another entity.

Self-Evaluation

This standard section is partially met. Only the college president on behalf of the college and contract partner may enter into a contract, but this is subject to approval by the Board of Trustees. Contracts and board minutes document ongoing checks and balances in this area.

79

Planning Agenda

To fully realize this standard, the college needs to formalize the process by which financial resources planning is integrated with institutional planning.

Specifically, documents must show how allocations are directly linked to institutional goals. Included in the process should be a description of how the allocations are evaluated and the results used as a basis for future improvements.

Currently needed are documents for division, department, and

133 college-wide planning that show institutional goals being linked to objectives and expenditures. g. The institution regularly evaluates its financial management processes, and the results of the evaluation are used to improve financial management systems.

Description

Officially, the entire financial management process is formally evaluated on an annual basis.

However, as processes and procedures are found to be inadequate, internal adjustments are made continuously subject to administrative approval. The review process begins with the

Planning Council creating and distributing timelines for the budgeting process. Once the budgets are received back from stakeholder groups, the Planning

Council begins to revise and amend programming needs to fit the resources available. The consolidated budget and program are presented to the president who may also modify and adjust them.

The Board of Trustees gives the final approval. Once the programs are approved and designated as active, local managers are given their budgets and program designs. Information about encumbrances and expenditures is exchanged throughout the year.

Local managers’ decisions are monitored by the accounting staff and administrative team. When the


134 cycle ends, the entire system undergoes an audit by an independent attesting authority.

Self-Evaluation

The standard is met. Financial processes are evaluated not less than on an annual basis. Reviews of the financial process are driven in part by the Annual Budget

Calendar, and in part by the annual independent audit. The Planning

Council and Board of Trustees also provide oversight and evaluation of the processes used in the financial management system.

Planning Agenda

None.

3. The institution systematically assesses the effective use of financial resources and uses the results of the evaluation as the basis for improvement.

Description

The WKCCD board reviews monthly the financial reports provided to it and reviews the fund balances. The board is informed by the college president and vice president of administrative services of any fiscal updates from the state and other regulatory and external funding providers.

Monthly performance reports and ongoing fiscal reviews are routinely carried out by college staff. These

Standard III efforts are driven by Taft College's

Annual Budget Calendar.

Self-Evaluation

This standard and section is partially met. Taft College is strong in its systematic assessment of financial resources and tracking their applications across campus needs. However, a much stronger relationship needs to be created between the assessment and evaluation process to show how these examine program and student learning outcomes, compare them with actual results, and then how these comparisons directly create improvements in campus programs.

Planning Agenda

Taft College will continue to develop an effective analytic process to examine programs and evaluate them for alignment to mission statements, resource allocations, institutional and student learning outcomes, and end results. This analysis will then define changes to be made as a result of the evaluation process.

Ongoing review is taking place at the college Planning Council. Turnover in committee representatives continues to create the need for refresher training. For example, a recap of how to link program reviews with budgeting, strategic planning, SLOs, and end results would help new members quickly understand the process and


Standard III become contributing members.

This is a critical issue for the college and student success.


1 Development of New


Educational Administrator, Classified and Confidential Management and

Classified Staff

2 Development of New


Contract Faculty

3 Recruitment Screening Process

4 Board Policy 7120

5 Taft College Board Policies and

Procedures


Administration/Board/policy.htm

6 Establishing Equivalence to Minimum

Qualifications

7 Taft College Mission and Vision

Statement

<http://web.taftcollege.edu/missions tatement.shtml

8 HR Business Process Analysis,

Performance Evaluations

Management

9 HR Performance Evaluations,

Classified

10 HR Procedure for Evaluation of

Adjunct Lectures

11 HR Procedure for Evaluation Contract

Faculty

12 HR Procedure for Evaluation of

Tenured Faculty

13 Faculty Self Evaluation Guidelines

14 ―Course Student Learning Outcomes‖

Taft College Website

<http://faculty.taftcollege.edu/slos/d ata/slo_courses.shtml

15 Student Learning Outcomes and

Advisory Steering Committee --

Charter and Responsibilities

16 SLO Workshop E-mail from Brian

Jean to Willy Duncan and Henry

Yong, August 21, 2008

17 Board Policy 4030



135



21 Full-time Faculty Obligation Report

22 Agenda for Board of Trustees meeting June 10, 2009



25 Admin Clerk Job Description

26 ―Diversity‖, Taft College website


_services/diversity.shtml>


28 Taft College Catalog and Student

Handbook, 2008-2010 , page 111.

29 EEO Plan










39 Faculty and Staff Survey

40 Taft College Master Plan


A/MasterPlan.asp>

41 Facilities Committee Charter

42 Facilities Capital Improvement

Funding Sources

43 Student Satisfaction Survey Spring

2008

44 Division of the State Architects

45 HR Incident Report Form

46 NOEL Levitz Survey Information

47 Utilization Results

48 Five Year Facilities Plan

49 FUSION webpage

<http://cccfusion.org/>

50 Facilities Folder on FirstClass

51 Inservice Schedule

52 Staff Development Committee

Charter

53 Taft College Website - Measure A


A/MeasureA_home.asp>

54 Question 13 CCSSE survey given

Spring 2007

55 <http://www.lewiscenter.org/>

<http://k16bridge.org/>

136

56 Virtual Transfer Center Website

<http://transfer.taftcollege.edu/>

57 Technology Committee Agenda

58 I.T. Consultant Documents

59 Technology Committee Agenda

March 2004

60

I nternal Memo May, 2004

61 ITS Meeting Minutes July, 2004

62 Brainstorming Transcript November

2004

63 Requests for Proposals 2005

64 Timeline for Implementation—E-mail from Adrian Agundez June, 2009

65 Data Standards January, 2007

66 Budget Development Calendar

67 Planning Council Minutes—IAR&P website

<http://planning.taftcollege.edu/ind ex.php?pageid=council>

68 Datatel Contract

69 Audit Statements

70 Foundation Members List

71 West Kern Community College

District Adopted Budgets

72 Minutes from Taft College Health

Benefit Committee

73 Minutes—Board of Trustees Meeting

June 10, 2009.

74 Board of Trustees Minutes for 2007-

2008

75 Planning Council Member List

<http://planning.taftcollege.edu/ind ex.php?pageid=members>


77 Budget Updates by President’s Email

78 CCFS-311 report 2007-08

79 Board Policies on Business and Fiscal

Services 6340 Chapter 6


Standard III

Standard IV 137

STANDARD IV

Leadership and Governance

he institution recognizes and utilizes the contributions of leadership throughout the organization for continuous improvement of the institution. Governance roles are designed to facilitate decisions that support student learning programs and services and improve institutional effectiveness, while acknowledging the designated responsibilities of the governing board and the chief administrator.

A. Decision-Making Roles and Processes

The institution recognizes that ethical and effective leadership throughout the organization enables the institution to identify institutional values, set and achieve goals, learn, and improve.

1. Institutional leaders create an environment for empowerment, innovation, and institutional excellence.

They encourage staff, faculty, administrators, and students, no matter what their official titles, to take initiative in improving the practices, programs, and services in which they are involved. When ideas for improvement have policy or significant institution-wide implications, systematic participative processes are used to assure effective discussion, planning, and implementation.

Description

The primary vehicle for developing institutional empowerment, innovation, and excellence is the

Taft College Planning Council.

1 This group represents constituents from all areas: president of Taft College

(co-chair); Academic Senate president (co-chair); vice presidents, management;

California School Employee

Association president; division chairs; Institutional Research,

Assessment, and Planning (IAR&P); and Associated Student Body.

2

The various representatives suggest ideas to improve practices, programs, and services of their constituencies through the

Planning Council to the Taft College

Board of Trustees.

Ideas are suggested by the following:

Faculty

The faculty at Taft College exercise their voices through their various


138 divisions and division chairs.

Division chairs meet on a monthly basis with the Vice President of

Instruction and Academic Senate president to relate concerns and/or ideas to the administration.

3 The faculty is also represented by the

Academic Senate and the Taft

College Faculty Association, whose presidents meet with the college president. In addition, the faculty collective bargaining unit meets with representatives from administration, management, and the Board of Trustees in the Taft

College Faculty Collective

Bargaining Committee (TCFCBC).

4

Administration

The Taft College administration, composed of a superintendent/president, vice presidents, and deans, has gone through a great deal of change since our last accreditation reaffirmation. After having one superintendent/president for twenty-four years, Taft College has had two presidents in the past four years. Our current President,

William Duncan, took the position of superintendent/president in

March of 2008 after serving as interim president for eight months.

In addition to the changes in the superintendent/president position,

Taft College added a full-time coordinator of Vocational Education in May, 2007. That position was previously part-time. Taft College also created an associate dean of instruction position in November of

Standard IV

2007 to oversee Title V grants, assist in the development and implementation of enrollment strategies, and work closely with college administrators in planning, implementation, and evaluation activities to ensure that programs are regularly assessed for effectiveness. The associate dean of instruction also coordinates Taft

College's Center for Academic

Success and Assistance (CASA)

Program.

The current administration has embraced the concept of shared governance in planning, as spelled out in Board Policy 3250.

5 The district has recently contracted with a consultant to aid in developing a strategic planning process.

6

Developing and improving the strategic plan are top priorities. In

January 2008, the Planning Council members attended an all day retreat to exchange ideas on budget, information technology,

Taft College's mission and vision statements, and other ways to improve Taft College.

2009, the board 8

7 In April

9

and the Planning

held separate all-day Council retreats to discuss and develop a strategic plan.

10

The superintendent/president meets with a cabinet made up of the vice presidents and deans to exchange ideas that have arisen in each of their departments. This is in addition to many informal meetings with administrators,


Standard IV faculty, staff, and students. Taft

College's current administration believes in an open door policy.

Students

Title 5 of the California Code of

Regulations establishes the right of students to have the opportunity to participate effectively in college governance. Taft College students have an elected student governing body called the Associated Student

Body (ASB).

11 The president of the

ASB serves as the student trustee on the Taft College Board of

Trustees. In addition, student representatives serve on the


Committee, Planning Council,

Financial Aid Committee, Citizen’s

Oversight Committee, and Facilities

Committee. The college selected a new superintendent/president in

February, 2008 and the ASB vice president served on the selection committee. Through these committees and the student government process, students express their opinions and suggestions for improving practices, programs, and services.

Staff

The Taft College classified staff is represented by the Taft College

California School Employee

Association (CSEA) Chapter in collective bargaining. Unlike some of the larger colleges, there is no classified senate at Taft College.

The classified staff is represented on several committees including

139

Admissions and Attendance,

Community Scholarship,

Counseling, Facilities, Financial Aid,

Graduation, Information

Technology, Planning Council,

Special Events, and Staff

Development.

Management

Management, as a constituent group, does not have a collective bargaining unit to represent it.

Managers are selected based on an open and competitive selection process. The institution and district expect all managers to exercise exemplary leadership in supervising their areas. To increase their effectiveness, managers have to go through periodic comprehensive evaluations, the results of which are used for continuous improvement.

12

Self-Evaluation


In the faculty and staff survey,

(which was administered to faculty, staff, administrators, and board members), conducted in spring,

2008, to the questionnaire item ―all constituents have the opportunity to participate in the development of institutional plans and budgets,‖

68.2% indicated they agreed somewhat or totally; only a total of

16.8 % disagreed somewhat or totally. On the question

―institutional programs are assessed regularly,‖ 70.5% answered either somewhat or totally agree while only 16.4%


140 were in the somewhat or totally disagree categories. On the question, ‖institutional leaders create an environment for empowerment, innovation, and institutional excellence,‖ 71.4% were either in the totally agree or somewhat agree categories while only 9.5% were in the somewhat disagree or totally disagree categories.

13

2. The institution establishes and implements a written policy providing for faculty, staff, administrator, and student participation in decision-making processes.

The policy specifies the manner in which individuals bring forward ideas from their constituencies and work together on appropriate policy, planning, and specialpurpose bodies. a. Faculty and administrators have a substantive and clearly defined role in institutional governance and exercise a substantial voice in institutional policies, planning, and budget that relate to their areas of responsibility and expertise.

Students and staff also have established mechanisms or organizations for providing input into institutional decisions.

Standard IV

Description

Faculty

The main instrument for the faculty of Taft College to exercise their voice is through the Academic

Senate.

14 The various members of the senate relate their ideas or concerns to the Academic Senate president who then relates those ideas or concerns to the Planning

Council and ultimately to the board. Board Policy 2510 stipulates the role of the Academic Senate in local decision making.

15

Faculty ideas or concerns are also addressed at division meetings, and the division chair can then bring these to the Division Chairs

Meeting which is attended by the vice president of instruction, the dean of instruction, the Academic

Senate president, and the division chairs.

There are at least seven faculty members on the Taft College

Planning Council, including the

Academic Senate president (cochair), two members of the

Academic Senate, and two members of the Taft College

Faculty Association.

In the areas of budget, the division chairs are the liaison between individual faculty members and the vice president of instruction on the individual yearly budget. On budget items that require collective bargaining, the main instrument is

TCFCBC, the organization that


Standard IV includes board members, administrators, managers

(financial), and faculty. This group meets once a month and discusses faculty-board contract issues.

Issues of concern for faculty in this arena are expressed and prioritized by the Faculty Association. TCFCBC is the official collective bargaining committee for faculty contracts.

Administration

The President’s Cabinet is the venue where the superintendent/president, vice presidents, and deans (usually only if they have input on the agenda items) can meet to discuss ideas or concerns that have been brought up in their areas or departments.

As with faculty and staff, administrators are part of both the

Planning Council and the collective bargaining committees where they can voice their concerns or ideas in regards to institutional policies, planning, and budget.

Staff

The main instrument for staff to have input is through their CSEA

President at their monthly meeting.

16 Information then flows from the Planning Council ultimately to the board. The

Planning Council also has two board representatives. Collective bargaining items are brought before the Taft College Classified

Collective Bargaining Committee

(TCCCBC) which is the classified equivalent of TCFCBC for faculty.

141

Students

The Taft College Associated

Student Body (ASB) appoints representatives to serve on the

Planning Council. These representatives have the opportunity to have input into the planning process. The ASB president serves as a student trustee on the Taft College Board of Trustees. The ASB president gives a report to the board at each monthly board meeting.

Self-Evaluation

The standard is met. The results from question number seven on the faculty and staff survey,

―Faculty and administrators have a substantive and clearly defined role in the institutional policies, planning, and budget that relate to their area of responsibility,‖ indicate that a substantial number of faculty and staff, 68.2%, agree totally or somewhat as opposed to

11.1% who either totally or somewhat disagree. b. The institution relies on faculty, its academic senate or other appropriate faculty structures, the curriculum committee, and academic administrators for recommendations about student learning programs and services.

Description

Processes for faculty involvement


142 regarding recommendations about student learning programs are supported by Board Policy 2510 as mandated by Title 5, sections

53200 and Board Policy 4020 as mandated by Title 5, section 51022 and Education Code Section

70902(b) and 78016.

17 These processes are carried out through the Curriculum and General

Education Committee 18 and the program review process.

19

The Curriculum and General

Education Committee evaluates the college curriculum and recommends appropriate changes for board consideration. As the

Faculty Handbook states, "The committee reviews and recommends all new course and program additions and deletions, and provides input to the Planning

Committee as to resource requirements of its recommendations. Academic policies affecting student success are evaluated and recommended by this committee.‖ 20 The committee is co-chaired by the vice president of instruction and the vice president of the Academic

Senate. The makeup of the committee includes all academic constituents of the college including academic administrators, academic counseling, faculty, and students.

As specified by Board Policy 4020, the procedures for program and curriculum developments shall include ―regular review and justification of programs and

Standard IV course descriptions." This is accomplished by the program review process which is under the direction of the vice president of instruction and division chairs.

They also rely heavily on Taft

College's IAR&P Office to provide necessary data. Program review for

Taft College's divisions are staggered into six annual cycles; every year one division is responsible for their program review, and one year is added for overall review. When a program review is completed, it is sent to the Planning Council for review and then to the Board of Trustees for acceptance.

In fall, 2007, the Academic Senate began drafting institutional student learning outcomes. This was discussed for several months with input from various constituents before a final version was adopted by the Board of Trustees in March,

2008.

21

The Planning Council has also reviewed and updated the college's mission, vision, and goal statements, most recently at the

Planning Council retreat in early

2009.

Self-Evaluation

The standard is met. Although the

Academic Senate can make recommendations directly to the

Board of Trustees, most of their recommendations go through the process of Academic Senate,



Standard IV

Committee, Planning Council, and then the board. Any individual, however, can speak directly to the

Board of Trustees on academic policy by following Board Policy

2350.

22

3. Through established governance structures, processes, and practices, the governing board, administrators, faculty, staff, and students work together for the good of the institution. These processes facilitate discussion of ideas and effective communication among the institution’s constituencies.

Description

The Board of Trustees, administrators, faculty, and students work together for the good of the college in several areas. The Board of Trustees gets input from not only the superintendent/president but also the student trustee (who is also the Associated Student Body president), and the Academic

Senate president. Other members of the administration, faculty, or staff are free to speak at any board meeting.

In addition to board meetings, students, staff, faculty, and board members serve on several committees together, although board members are usually exofficio members of most committees. The college committee

143 structure has grown from the last accreditation; most recently adding the Student Learning Outcomes

Advisory and Steering Committee

(SLOASC) whose purpose is to oversee the integration of SLOs at all levels into the program review and planning processes.

23

Self-Evaluation

This standard is met. According to the faculty and staff survey question number eight,

―established governance structures, process, and practices allow the governing board, administration, faculty, staff, and students to work together for the good of the institution,‖ the faculty and staff was overwhelmingly supportive of the statement;

69.8% somewhat or totally agreed as opposed to only 9.5% who somewhat disagreed; none totally disagreed.

Planning Agenda

This standard is met; however,

Taft College could improve on the effectiveness of its communication.

Consequently, it is proposed that a mechanism be implemented to evaluate and provide feedback regarding the efficiency and effectiveness of governance structures and practices.

4. The institution advocates and demonstrates honesty and integrity in its relationships with external agencies. It agrees to comply with


144

Accrediting Commission standards, policies, and guidelines, and Commission requirements for public disclosure, self study and other reports, team visits, and prior approval of substantive changes. The institution moves expeditiously to respond to recommendations made by the Commission.

Description

Taft College takes its commitment to honesty and integrity in relations with external agencies very seriously. Our direction from the Board of Trustees down has always been to submit our reports or audits on time and complete.

Taft College, like all community colleges in California, works under the provisions of federal law (Title

20 of the United States Code), of the Education Code of the State of

California, and the California Code of Regulations (Title 5).

The primary external agencies to which the college is accountable include the California Community

College Chancellor's Office, the

Accrediting Commission for

Community and Junior Colleges

(ACCJC), and grant agencies both public and private.

Chancellor's Office

Taft College has always worked diligently to perform its duties and

Standard IV responsibilities that are required by the Chancellor's Office.

24 This has been especially true during our rebuilding process. In 2004, the voters of our district passed a bond to rebuild/renovate the college campus.

25 Taft College and its architect, the Addington

Partnership (AP), have worked hand and hand with the

Chancellor's Office on approval of design and construction policies.

ACCJC

Taft College has been involved in a two year self-study to prepare for the 2009 accreditation process.

Our steering committee has attended training sessions provided

26 and our co-chairs

27 numerous

on the accreditation by the ACCJC, have attended meetings 28 process.

29

In addition, since our last accreditation, Taft College completed its mid-term report on answering the recommendations of the last accreditation.

30 That report was completed and accepted by the ACCJC. Taft College has also completed the yearly progress reports as stipulated by the

ACCJC.

31

Public Grants

Taft College has been designated a

Hispanic Serving Institution and has acquired three Title V grants:

Solo Grant 32

Co-op Grant 33


Standard IV

Math-Science Transfer

Grant 34

Additionally, the college has received a federal CCRAA/HSI

STEM (Science, Technology,

Engineering, and Mathematics) grant.

35 This two-year grant for almost $5 million is the largest single grant given to a community college by the Department of

Education. Funds are being utilized to increase and improve STEM related offerings and to build awareness in the community of

STEM opportunities.

36

The operation of our Dental

Hygiene program is funded by state funds from the Chancellor's

Office. They also have a $1.5 million grant from the First Five of

Kern to provide preventative services throughout Kern County schools.

37 They are in a partnership with Kern County Superintendent of Schools Office.

38 In 2008, the department received a grant from the Chancellor's Office of $55,000 to build a laboratory.

39 In 2009, the department received a grant of

$80,000 per year for three years to hire another Dental Hygiene instructor. This was done in response to recommendations made during their accreditation site visit.

40

Private Grants

Taft has been granted a

James Irving Foundation

Student Success Program

Grant (SSPIRE).

41

145

The Transition to

Independent Living program has received several private grants both state and national.

42

Self-Evaluation

The standard is met although the college has in some cases not responded to recommendations as expeditiously as it should have.

Planning Agenda

Taft College will incorporate accrediting commission recommendations into its emerging strategic planning process so that it can comply with those recommendations in a more expeditious manner.

5. The role of leadership and the institution’s governance and decision-making structures and processes are regularly evaluated to assure their integrity and effectiveness. The institution widely communicates the results of these evaluations and uses them as the basis for improvement.

Description

Taft College’s role of leadership and the institution’s governance and decision-making structures and processes are constantly evaluated to provide for a smooth running and effective institution.

Some of those evaluation tools


146 are:

Accreditation

Through the accreditation process as outlined in Board Policy 3200, 43

Taft College has been able to obtain insight as to how well the institution is working to serve the needs of the students and the community. Although the actual self study process only happens every six years, the college starts its preparation two years in advance, examining every aspect of the institution. Taft College does the same self-reflective process during the midterm report only in a shorter time span.

Planning Council

The Planning Council is constantly evaluating the governance and decision-making structures and processes of the College to judge their efficiency. The minutes of the

Planning Council are posted on the

Taft College intranet.

Retreats

Retreats for Planning Council members are conducted on a regular basis. The Planning Council attended a retreat in January of

2008 to discuss and evaluate various aspects of the institution's governance and decision-making structures and processes. These included discussions on our budgeting process, the mission statement, the installation and operation of the college's new

Standard IV

Banner system, and the upcoming accreditation site visit.

From time to time the instructional division will also use retreats to evaluate and fine-tune its operations.

Employee Evaluations

All employees of Taft College are evaluated on a regular basis.

Tenured faculty go through a peer evaluation every three years; 44 non-tenured faculty go through evaluation every year. The classified staff are evaluated on a yearly basis by their supervisors.

45

Managers are evaluated on a yearly basis.

46 Every third year the administrators have intensive evaluations done by survey of faculty, classified staff, and administrators.

47 The superintendent/president is evaluated by the Board of Trustees on a yearly basis as established by

Board Policy 2435.

48

Surveys

Taft College has recently conducted a faculty and staff survey and a student survey. The faculty and staff survey questions were based on accreditation standards, and the student survey was conducted using the Community College

Survey of Student Engagement

(CCSSE).

49 The results from these surveys are used to improve governance and decision-making processes, among other things.


Standard IV

For example, one section of the faculty and staff survey asked respondents to rate the effectiveness of specific departments or committees. This questionnaire is going to be used on a yearly basis. The results of these surveys go to the Planning

Council, the Board of Trustees for evaluation, and are used for program review.

Self-Evaluation

The standard is met. Continuous evaluation of governance and decision-making structures and processes is highly valued within the campus community as the evaluations allow for all employees to contribute to the discussion on

147 governance procedures.

Furthermore, the results of these evaluations are used to make changes as evidenced by the numerous changes in governance and decision-making processes over the last several years. The campus community does not see these changes as static or closed to input; to the contrary, there is a constant vigilance on the part of

Taft College employees to continually monitor the effectiveness of governance processes so that adjustments can be made if required.

Planning Agenda

None.


148 Standard IV

____________________________________________________________

Taft College students demonstrate their moves with Dance Dance

Revolution.

____________________________________________________________

B. Board and Administrative

Organization

In addition to the leadership of individuals and constituencies, institutions recognize the designated responsibilities of the governing board for setting policies and of the chief administrator for the effective operation of the institution. Multi-college districts/systems clearly define the organizational roles of the district/system and the colleges.

1. The institution has a governing board that is responsible for establishing policies to assure the quality, integrity, and effectiveness of the student learning programs and services and the financial stability of the institution. The governing board adheres to a clearly defined policy for selecting and evaluating the chief administrator for the college or the district/system.


Standard IV

Description


District (WKCCD)/Taft College is governed by a five-member Board of Trustees that represents the community at large.

50 Various

WKCCD Board Policies and

Procedures establish policies, goals, and commitments to comply with all regulatory obligations of the board.

51 The board specifically defines its governing role in Board

Policy 2220, Board Duties and

Responsibilities, 52 which commits the board to monitor institutional performance and educational quality; assure fiscal health and stability; and to hire, evaluate and delegate power and authority to the superintendent/president to lead the district.

Typical agendas for board meetings include regular reviews of district policies and updating of procedures.

Several policies and procedures have been established and used by the board in selecting and evaluating the college’s chief administrator. For example, the board’s authority to hire and delegate responsibility to a CEO is contained in Board Policy 2431

(CEO Selection) and 2430

(Delegation of Authority to

Superintendent/President).

Accountability of the superintendent/president is not overlooked by the board which uses Board Policy 2435, Evaluation of Superintendent/President, as a

149 basis for its annual review. (For a full discussion on the processes and procedures guiding the board in its dealing with the CEO, please see Self-Study Standard IV,

Section B, Subsection j).

Self-Evaluation

Taft College’s Board of Trustees has developed a policy and procedures manual. The board follows and continues to update this regularly. The policies and procedures developed do clearly define broad goals and institutional objectives. Periodic board reviews prompted by internal and external forces continue to produce revisions to the college’s mission, vision, and objectives. The board values this review process because it affords time for introspection of standards, institutional quality, and effective performances in all programs and services provided by the college.

The Board of Trustees consistently applies it policies and procedures for it hiring and evaluation practices for all of its employees, but exemplified in the recently completed search for the new superintendent/president in 2008.

This section of the standard is met.

Planning Agenda

None. a. The governing board is an independent policy-making


150 body that reflects the public interest in board activities and decisions. Once the board reaches a decision, it acts as a whole. It advocates for and defends the institution and protects it from undue influence or pressure.

Description

The board maintains strict standards in all of its dealings relating to the trust placed in them by the community including ethical and regulatory mandates as evidenced by Board Policy 2710,

Conflict of Interest, which establishes that members shall not have a financial interest in contracts considered by the Board and additionally requires

―disclosure of assets and income of members who may be affected by their official actions.‖ and 2712 55

53 Board

Administrative Procedures 2710 54

further define conflicts of interest, applicable laws, regulatory codes, and process for financial disclosure.

The board maintains a strong commitment to its policy making and oversight role. Specifically, the board crafts the college’s Mission and Vision Statement that outlines overarching goals for the institution and is available to the community electronically and in publications such as the college catalog and schedule of courses.

The board has also approved institutional student learning

Standard IV outcomes that are to be integrated into the disciplines and programs offered by Taft College.

Self- Evaluation

Currently, the five board members represent a total of 87 years of service to the district. Two of the trustees have served more than 27 years each, and another has served more than 20. All are longtime residents in the community and, collectively, have many ties to local constituent groups including local service clubs, Chamber of

Commerce, and various civic committees and taskforces.

Composition of the board includes one retired financial institution executive, one retired local business owner and three nonretired members who represent the general construction, oilfield construction and law enforcement/security fields.

Board members enjoy strong support from the community in which they serve. In the past six years, even in contested elections, incumbent members prevailed- a testament of voter confidence.

Board members have demonstrated their ability to make difficult and complex decisions which have far-reaching effect on the community and students it serves as evidenced by their unanimous decision to eliminate all athletic programs during the economic hardships of 1992 through 1994. Three members of the current board served at that


Standard IV time and participated in the process. Fortunately, the college recovered and has benefitted from advantageous financial times in the more recent past. Despite the tremendous public popularity of the sports programs, no board members were voted out during these times.

The Board of Trustees will continue to maintain their role as the policy making body of the district by focusing on the duties and responsibilities outlined in the

Board Policies and Procedures.

Members of the board will continue to serve in their civic roles to provide outreach and conduit of information to the community they serve.

Planning Agenda

None. b. The governing board establishes policies consistent with the mission statement to ensure the quality, integrity, and improvement of student learning programs and services and the resources necessary to support them.

Description

The Board of Trustees fulfills its obligation to ensuring the quality, integrity, and improvement of student learning programs by providing leadership support, funding, and resources necessary

151 for their success. Numerous board policies reflect the board’s commitment to creating and maintaining quality collegiate programs that comply with all applicable regulatory requirements, including the following:

The Mission and Vision

Statement (Board Policy

1200),

Program Review and

Curriculum Development

(Board Policy 4020),

Philosophy and Criteria for

Associate Degree and

General Education (Board

Policy 4025), 56

Standards of Scholarship

(Board Policy 4220), 57 and

Academic Freedom (Board

Policy 4030).

58

These policies represent the basic values of the board and are reflective in their goals statement and the guiding documents of the district including the recently developed Taft College Strategic

Plan: 2009.

As part of their agenda for their annual summer retreat held in July of 2008, the board reviewed their prior year’s goals, evaluated their accomplishments, and established their ensuing year’s goals in a working draft that was officially adopted by the board in November,

2008. While all of the goals are of importance, the one of greatest interest for this section is the second goal statement which establishes the board’s interests


152 and program focus in the following areas:

Support community development,

Maintain educational quality,

Complete 2009 Accreditation

Self-Study,

Maintain fiscal stability and ensure prudent management of fiscal resources,

Maintain effective board leadership,

Maintain progress on facilities development,

Maintain and grow enrollment, and

Continue Transition to

Independent Living (TIL) program national replication efforts.

During the board retreat held in

May, 2009, and after reviewing voluminous reports on Taft

College's students, employees, and service area residents, the board identified a set of "strategic questions." These were subsequently provided to the

Planning Council for incorporation into the most recent strategic plan, being developed at a different retreat attended by Planning

Council members.

At the request of the Board of

Trustees, the Mission and Vision

Statement is posted strategically throughout the campus as a guide for the community, students, and staff to not only reflect on institutional goals and values, but

Standard IV also to strive to accomplish the work within them.

Self-Evaluation


The board articulates its organizational values, philosophies, and goals through its policies and institutional statements. Those statements are published in a variety of documents such as the college catalog, strategic plan, and board policies and procedures.

The Taft College Planning Council which meets twice monthly and is comprised of comprehensive representation of campus constituencies (including two advisory members of the board), regularly reviews the Mission and

Vision Statement and uses it to filter planning decisions.

Planning Agenda

None. c. The governing board has ultimate responsibility for educational quality, legal matters, and financial integrity.

Description

While Board Policy 2510,

Participation in Local Decision-

Making, clearly establishes the

Board of Trustees as the ―ultimate decision-maker,‖ it also requires and provides a forum for all members of the district to have a


Standard IV dialogue over the development of policies and procedures that are implemented and used by the board. Stakeholder forums are also required by Title 5.

59

At Taft College, the Planning

Council shares the decision making. Council membership is comprised of representatives of administration, academic senate, all six faculty division chairs, collective bargaining units, unrepresented employees, students, and board advisory members. The council strives to provide campus-wide communication and flow of information through publication of its meeting minutes, email delivery of documents, and posting to the campus intranet. The council regularly reviews and makes recommendations to the board over strategic planning, budget development, master planning, academic programs, and new staffing needs. Council members are encouraged to make regular reports on topics from their representative groups. The superintendent/president consistently uses this platform to provide statewide budget and finance information and its effect on the district.

Board Policies 6200 (Budget

Preparation) 60

Management)

and 6250 (Budget

61 require the superintendent/president to prepare and submit a proposed annual budget that is consistent with Title 5 and all applicable laws

153 and regulations. Additionally, the policies mandate that revenues in excess of budgeted amounts be committed to district reserve accounts. The annual budgets are drafted by the executive administration, sent to the

Planning Council for their recommendations and, ultimately, submitted to the Board of Trustees for adoption. Because of the continuous input by the Planning

Council in the decisions regarding the college programs, services and commitment of financial resources, the budget consistently reflects the overall institutional needs and goals.

In addition to seeking counsel and advice from the statewide

Chancellor’s Office, the Board of

Trustees uses a variety of law firms with specialties based in contracts, human relations, and facilities on a contingent basis.

Self-Evaluation

The college meets this standard.

The Board of Trustees has a consistent history of fiscal conservatism. Prior to 1992,

WKCCD was funded as a ―Basic

Aid‖ district and received its revenue from local taxes, but reverted to state funding as a result of the economic downturn and eventual fall of statewide revenue. Hard decisions were made by the board to ensure the survival of the college, and the board maintained its commitment


154 to budget and to manage its financial resources prudently.

Such foresight created and grew a reserve which now amounts to

12% of the annual budget

(exceeding the state mandate of

5%).

62 A two-party firm investment group has been engaged to monitor these reserves and make investment recommendations to the board.

63

The district successfully initiated

Measure A to provide financing for a much needed facilities improvement plan in 2004, including funds for a new management information system to help ensure integrity across the system. The district continues to implement General Accounting

Standards Board (GASB) practices and recommendations. In a closely related matter, a taskforce to research and recommend a program to ensure funding for district retiree health benefits, including the establishment of a trust to manage the related finances, has been created.

64

The board consistently monitors the district budget and finances.

Monthly updates regarding the district's financial status are made at board meetings by both the superintendent/president and vice president of administrative services. Quarterly reports are made by district investment advisors to disclose the status of revenues. Full-time Equivalent

Student (FTES) is monitored daily to provide input in decisions


Standard IV regarding program offerings and commitment of resources.

65 These efforts all contribute to financial disclosure, open system administration, and board accountability which lend legitimacy to the board’s financial integrity.

Planning Agenda

None. d. The institution or the governing board publishes the board bylaws and policies specifying the board’s size, duties, responsibilities, structure, and operating procedures.

Description

The Board of Trustees publishes all policies, procedures, meeting agendas, minutes, and related documents in printed copies and digitally on the board’s web page.

Copies of all meeting materials are available to the public in the college library and also upon request. Each month, the board package is produced and mailed to local news agencies and to the

Bakersfield Californian , a publication that also serves the

Taft community.

Self-Evaluation

The district meets this standard.

The board established and maintains a strong commitment of

Standard IV open communication to the community it serves.

Planning Agenda

None. e. The governing board acts in a manner consistent with its policies and bylaws. The board regularly evaluates its policies and practices and revises them as necessary.

Description

The WKCCD subscribes to the

Board Policy and Procedure Service provided by the Community

College League of California

(CCLC), an organization that helped the board initially create its policies. The district also subscribes to a policy update service provided by the legal firm of Liebert Cassidy

Whitmore, which has recently completed an update of policy chapters one through seven.

Currently, the board adopts and reviews policies in a two-step process. The first step is a reading of the proposed policy and/or revision which must take place during one meeting prior to taking action. This lead time ensures adequate time for discussions to occur between interested parties.

The second step generally takes place one month later and is another reading with action taken.

The board’s minutes reflect meeting activities to include its proceedings, motions, resolutions,

155 voting, and actions. These minutes are available to any interested party and can be obtained as a printed copy or in digital form.

Self-Evaluation


Open disclosure of recorded meeting agendas and minutes of proceedings are readily available.

Through the CCLC service, district policies remain refreshed and in compliance with applicable regulatory statutes. Policy updates provided by Liebert Cassidy

Whitmore also ensure that this standard is met.

Planning Agenda

While the board policies are up-todate, the board procedures need reviewing and updating. Plans are underway to bring this project to completion. f. The governing board has a program for board development and new member orientation. It has a mechanism for providing for continuity of board membership and staggered terms of office.

Description

As outlined in Board Policy 2740,

Board Education, the WKCCD is committed to board development and individual trustee education.

66

New members are encouraged to


156 attend the new trustee orientation conference that is annually offered by the Community College League of California. Additionally, the

Board holds annual financial workshops, retreats, focus groups, and has traditionally attended the annual conferences sponsored the

CCLC and the Association of

Community College Trustees when possible. Trustees have also been selected by those organizations to lead discussion groups at their meetings.

The board updates its information on a regular basis through a variety of means. The superintendent/ president makes presentations at monthly meetings which are useful in helping board members understand the current state of Taft College. Staff and faculty members also present information at monthly board meetings. For example, faculty members of the Math and Science

Division presented a hands-on demonstration of the use of PC

Tablets as an education tool.

67

The current board president also serves as an advisory member on the Planning Council and Health

Benefits Committee. This liaison capacity helps flow information to the board on a regular basis.

Taft College’s Board of Trustees has created and implemented a policy regarding membership and terms of office. Board Policy 2100,

Board Elections, establishes that,

―Terms of trustees are staggered

Standard IV so that, as nearly as practical, one half of the trustees shall be elected at each trustee election.‖ 68

Elections are held every evennumbered year. Since the board is comprised of five-members, this means that either two or three seats are up for election.

Self-Evaluation

This standard is being met. The process of board development and education is ongoing. Trustees are encouraged and regularly participate in educational opportunities as they occur.

Trustees regularly share information they have received at training sessions and various meetings. Strong pathways of open communication exist between the superintendent/president and board members, and this relationship fosters a favorable climate for meeting changing accreditation standards.

Planning Agenda

None. g. The governing board’s selfevaluation processes for assessing board performance are clearly defined, implemented, and published in its policies or bylaws.

Description

The board performs a selfevaluation at its annual retreat, and invokes Board Policy 2745,


Standard IV

Board Self-Evaluation, as a basis for reviewing its progress on meeting its previous goals.

69

Traditionally, the board has utilized the services of a professional facilitator through the Community

College League of California to assist in the self-evaluation portion of the annual retreat.

At its most recent retreat held on

July 26, 2008, board accomplishments were compared to its 2007/08 goals and the results were documented. The selfevaluation process used was to review each goal, agree on whether the goal was met or not, and consider options on how to meet those goals not yet accomplished. New goals for the ensuing year area were also developed and subsequently officially adopted at a regular board meeting.

Self-Evaluation


Planning Agenda

None. h. The governing board has a code of ethics that includes a clearly defined policy for dealing with behavior that violates its code.

Description

Board Policy 2715, Code of

Ethics/Standard of Practice, clearly

157 defines the board’s commitment to ethical practices, 70 and outlines the board’s expectations for trustee service. This policy, coupled with the Conflict of Interest policies

(2710 and 2712) provide strong guidelines relating to board service and performance. The Code of

Ethics/Standard of Practice policy also includes a section on the purpose and process of censure, should the need arise.

Self-Evaluation

This standard is met. The board’s

Code of Ethics clearly defines acceptable behavior and provides sanctions for behaviors in violation of this code. Members of the Board of Trustees do conduct themselves professionally. With few exceptions, the board acts unanimously on resolutions created after rounds of discussion and debate as is evidenced in the meeting minutes. A strong level of respect exists among the trustees and the board consistently acts as one body.

Planning Agenda

None. i. The governing board is informed about and involved in the accreditation process.

Description

The Board of Trustees demonstrates its commitment and involvement in the accreditation


158 process as indicated in Board Policy

3200, Accreditation. The policy establishes that the superintendent/president has the following responsibilities: to comply with the standards of the ACCJC, to comply with the process of the ACCJC, to provide information to the board regarding approved accrediting organizations, to provide information to the board regarding the status of accreditations, and

to involve the board in all areas in which their participation is required.

Updates on the current status of the accreditation process are provided to board members by the superintendent/president at board meetings. Board members serving on the Planning Council also receive updates by the coordinator of institutional assessment, research, and planning and the president of the Faculty

Association, who is also the cochair of the Planning Council. The board and the Planning Council regularly examine the recommendations of the accreditation site teams.

Additionally, updates on accreditation are provided through web pages available to all members of the campus community.

Standard IV

Self-Evaluation


The board strives to be educated and actively involved in the accreditation process. Regular updates by the superintendent/president and the board president who serves on the

Standard IV committee greatly aid the information flows. The completion of the self-study and a successful accreditation site visit was made as one of the board’s goals for 2008/09.

Planning Agenda

None. j. The governing board has the responsibility for selecting and evaluating the district/system chief administrator (most often known as the chancellor) in a multi-college district/system or the college chief administrator (most often known as the president) in the case of a single college.

The governing board delegates full responsibility and authority to him/her to implement and administer board policies without board interference and holds him/her accountable for the operation of the district/system or college, respectively. In multi-college districts/systems, the governing board establishes a clearly defined policy for


Standard IV selecting and evaluating the presidents of the colleges.

Description

Board Policy 2431, CEO

Selection, 71 and 2430, Delegation of Authority to

Superintendent/President, 72 establish the role and responsibility of the board to hire and delegate the authority to the CEO. Board

Policy 2430 charges the superintendent/president to

―administer the policies adopted by the Board and execute all decisions of the Board requiring administrative action.‖

The chief executive officer is not allowed free reign and unbounded authority. Accountability is a great concern for the board. This issue is specifically addressed through

Board Policy 2435, Evaluation of

Superintendent/President, 73 which requires this position to undergo an annual review.

Superintendent/President William

Duncan IV, who previously served as executive vice president, was appointed as interim CEO following the resignation of Roe Darnell,

Ed.D. in spring of 2007.

The Board of Trustees, being responsible for hiring the superintendent/president, invoked the processes in Board Policy 2431 to fill the position permanently.

The selection process included the formation of a screening committee consisting of representatives from

159 faculty, management, classified, and the community. Following the identification of the finalists, an open forum was held on campus where each candidate was invited to share their thoughts and plans.

Recommendations from the screening committee, compilations of candidate evaluations submitted after the candidate forums by attendees, and evaluations by the

Board of Trustees resulted in the selection of a suitable candidate.

William Duncan IV was hired as superintendent/president in March,

2008.

The Board of Trustees conducts annual evaluations of the superintendent/president which is based on goals mutually developed by the superintendent/president and the board. The process begins with the superintendent/president presenting a self-evaluation to the board. The board reviews the selfevaluation, and every board member completes a questionnaire concerning this self-evaluation. The board’s responses are compiled and presented to the board’s president. The president of the board reviews the results of the questionnaires and shares them with the superintendent/president in a closed session meeting.

The evaluation process is augmented by a survey conducted every three years among randomly selected constituents throughout the college seeking information on the management practices used at the college. The Human Resources


160

Department distributes the questionnaires and gathers the completed instruments.

74 The survey results are compiled by the

Human Resources Department and shared with the board. The results are then made available to the campus community as a driver for continuous improvement efforts.

Self-Evaluation


Strong board policies and procedures are in place to guide the selection, evaluation, and autonomy of the superintendent/president.

Planning Agenda

None.

2. The president has primary responsibility for the quality of the institution he/she leads. He/she provides effective leadership in planning, organizing, budgeting, selecting and developing personnel, and assessing institutional effectiveness. a. The president plans, oversees, and evaluates an administrative structure organized and staffed to reflect the institution's purposes, size, and complexity. He/she delegates authority to administrators and others consistent with their responsibilities, as

Standard IV appropriate.

Description

The superintendent/president at

Taft College maintains the quality of the institution in several ways.

Primarily, he serves as co-chair of the Planning Council, the overall organizing body of the college. The

Planning Council Charter delineates responsibility for organization, budgeting, and assessing institutional effectiveness. The charter also outlines the council’s role in selecting and developing personnel. The first paragraph of the Planning Council Charter states

"The Council makes recommendations regarding programs, facilities, financial planning, staffing, and organizational development."

The current superintendent/president is William

Duncan IV. He assumed the position in March, 2008 after serving as interim superintendent/president for eight months, during which time he carried out all the duties and responsibilities outlined in Board

Policy 2430. Prior to becoming interim superintendent/president,

Mr. Duncan served as vice president of administrative services from April, 2001 to February, 2007 and executive vice president from

March through June of 2007.

75

The superintendent/president delegates authority as appropriate.

Taft College is organized into five


Standard IV administrative sections, all of which report directly to the president:

The vice president of administrative services, John

Griffith, oversees the financial aspects of the college’s operations. His responsibilities include developing contracts, tracking and accounting for district funds, supervising the

Human Resources

Department, and advising the superintendent/president on all business services.

76

The vice president of instruction, Henry Yong, administers the instructional programs of the college; his duties include recruitment of qualified instructors and cooperation with the

Academic Senate. A major component of the job involves supporting the distance learning, ESL, transfer, career and technical education, and WESTEC programs.

77

The vice president of student services, Brock McMurray, holds authority over noninstructional student matters, including student organizations, athletics, residence halls, financial aid, and registration.

78

The director of information services, Adrian Agundez, manages the college’s information technology resources and provides

161 advice on the acquisition of new resources.

79

The Office of Institutional


Planning collects and analyzes data on college performance and recommends changes in college policy based upon that data.

80

Supervisory managers report to one of the vice presidents according to the manager’s area of responsibility. See the preface of this self study for further details.

The president schedules weekly cabinet meetings with the vice presidents to ascertain the status of the day to day functioning of the college. These meetings are both informative, with information flowing both up and down the chain of authority, and actionoriented, where authority is delegated to the appropriate vice presidents as required.

81

Self-Evaluation


Question 8 on the faculty and staff survey asked for agreement or disagreement with the statement,

"Established governance structures, processes, and practices allow the governing board, administration, faculty, staff, and students to work together for the good of the institution." None of the 67 responses indicated ―total


162 disagreement‖ and only 9.5% indicated ―some disagreement.‖

Planning Agenda

Incorporate regular evaluation of administrative/management structure into the planning process. b. The president guides institutional improvement of the teaching and learning environment by the following:

• establishing a collegial process that sets values, goals, and priorities;

• ensuring that evaluation and planning rely on high quality research and analysis on external and internal conditions;

• ensuring that educational planning is integrated with resource planning and distribution to achieve student learning outcomes; and

• establishing procedures to evaluate overall institutional planning and implementation efforts.

Description

Establishing a collegial process that sets values, goals, and priorities;

Taft College endeavors to have all processes be collegial, as evidenced by the values expressed


Standard IV in the current mission statement which reads "We value a communicative, collaborative, collegial, and respectful culture."

The college regards this value as a guiding principle in all interpersonal interactions, not just those that take place during formal meetings.

Most committees have adopted the

"Interaction Method" of conducting meetings as described in the classic book, How to Make

Meetings Work, by Michael Doyle and David Straus .

Some years ago

Taft College began moving away from so-called "adversarial" methods toward the more collegial

Interaction Method that uses a facilitator, a recorder, "group memory," and decision by consensus wherein all members of the group hold veto power.

Members of the faculty and staff bargaining committees (which include faculty, staff, managers, administrators, and board members) receive training in use of the Interaction Method as required.

Steve Barber, a renowned expert in the method, provides this training; the most recent session took place in July, 2009.

Almost all committees on campus, including the Planning Council, use a form of the Interaction Method to conduct meetings. Taft College has been recognized by the statewide

California Teachers Association

(CTA) as being one of the most successful community colleges to use the Interaction Method.

Standard IV

Committees that do not use the

Interaction Method include the

Faculty Association, Academic

Senate, and CSEA. All of these use traditional parliamentary procedures conducted under

Robert's Rules of Order .

The Planning Council seeks input from the college community in all its decisions, particularly when drafting the written values, priorities and goals that guide the college.

Ensuring that evaluation and planning rely on high quality research and analysis on external and internal conditions;

In fall 2001 Taft College created the Office of Institutional


Planning (IAR&P), whose mission statement explicitly sets the goal of providing ―access to accurate, timely and relevant information and associated analysis.‖ 82 To achieve this goal, Taft College expended several million dollars to update its antiquated Management

Information Systems (MIS) database, replacing the older

POISE system with the state of the art Banner information system.

Once fully implemented, the

Banner system will facilitate timely access to more reliable data than was possible under the POISE system.

To complement the Banner system,

Taft College has purchased and is

163 currently implementing the Cognos suite of reporting tools. Like

Banner, Cognos is a state of the art product that allows end user access to timely data.

83 As of May

2009, Taft College employees were receiving training in the use of

Cognos to develop data "packages" and reports that will eventually be accessible for use by employees who have been granted access to those packages and reports. The

IAR&P Office is currently identifying a list of standard reports that will be published on a regular basis for use in the institution's strategic planning and program review efforts.

In regards to external conditions impacting the college, Taft College recently retained the services of the Madrid Consulting Group to conduct an environmental scan of the college's service area.

84 The results from this environmental scan have been used by the

Planning Council and the instructional divisions to develop the 2009 strategic plan. It is anticipated that the environmental scan will be updated on a regular basis. To supplement the data provided by the environmental scan, reports on such things as local unemployment rates or poverty statistics are disseminated either by the coordinator of career and technical education or the

IAR&P Office. These reports are used for program review primarily to identify the need for new programs and positions.

85


164

At the time of the last accreditation site visit in 2003, the IAR&P Office had one full time researcher and no additional staff. To achieve the ambitious and labor intensive goals outlined above, additional funding was identified and allocated to the

IAR&P Office. The additional funding has been used to create new positions including a research technician, a research analyst, and a research clerk. The office obtained funds to purchase all new computer equipment for all of the

IAR&P Office staff and to provide training in the use of Banner and

Cognos.

Ensuring that educational planning is integrated with resource planning and distribution to achieve student learning outcomes; and

Linking educational planning, resource planning, and distribution with the achievement of student learning outcomes has been a priority of Taft College and the new president. The Planning Council designated a task force to make recommendations regarding the strategic planning process.

Ultimately, the task force recommended that the district retain the services of consultants to revamp the strategic planning process, thus linking planning, budgeting, and student learning outcomes. The Datatel Center for

Institutional Effectiveness began working with the college in spring,

2009 to update the strategic

Standard IV planning process, modeling best practices in the arena of strategic planning.

To facilitate the integration of student learning outcomes into planning, a 50% SLO coordinator position was created and filled in

2008. Subsequently, the SLO coordinator identified the need for an SLO Committee, a proposed charter was drafted, and the

Academic Senate approved the new committee in spring, 2009.

The Student Learning Outcomes

Advisory and Steering Committee

(SLOASC) will begin work in fall,

2009. The committee charter details how SLOs will be incorporated into the planning process and thus linked to the budgeting process.

Another method to help integrate resource planning with educational planning and student learning outcomes has been the development of a "planning calendar." 86 This effort originally grew out of an effort by the old

Planning Committee to coordinate the hiring of new faculty by introducing a "budget timeline" document to the college community. The budget timeline specified key dates by which certain things had to happen if budget planning was going to be successful. That timeline eventually expanded to include other groups on campus, including the Academic

Senate, the Curriculum and

General Education Committee, the

Planning Council, and the


Standard IV instructional divisions, and the timeline was moved from a hardcopy format to a website to make it more accessible to college employees. The newly created

"Planning Calendar" specifies the

"who," "what," and "when" of strategic planning. At the time of this writing, the newly created

Planning Calendar website is still under development to make it more useful as a planning tool for the campus community.

Establishing procedures to evaluate overall institutional planning and implementation efforts.

Given the increased emphasis on evaluation of all aspects of campus functioning, the Taft College community has come to recognize the value added by these continuous improvement efforts.

Consequently, during the creation of the new Planning Council, the charter for the council specifically includes a statement for continuous improvement in its own functioning. Likewise, the recently approved mission statement for the college includes the value of continuous improvement. To achieve these desirable outcomes, the IAR&P Office conducted a survey asking respondents to rate the effectiveness of various campus functional units and to offer suggestions for improving that effectiveness. This survey, or an improved version of it, will be conducted on a regular basis. The results will be used by the Planning

165

Council specifically to make its ongoing planning activities more effective and responsive to the needs of its constituents.

The superintendent/president works with the Planning Council on all college-wide policy decisions and ensures that all constituencies have input through their representatives on the council prior to a decision. The council and the superintendent/president work together on issues and usually reach a consensus. The Planning

Council is incorporating evaluation mechanisms and continuous improvement into its new strategic planning process. One suggested mechanism—currently in the planning phase—would require each committee and functional unit on campus to review its charter or mission statement on an annual basis and use that charter or mission statement as the baseline to judge effectiveness. These evaluation mechanisms will be fully implemented by fall, 2009.

87

Self-Evaluation

This standard is not fully met.

However, current efforts to revamp the strategic planning process and link it to budgeting and student learning outcome achievement will bring the college into compliance with this standard. Likewise, the implementation of a simple yet thorough and consistently applied mechanism to evaluate overall institutional planning and implementation efforts will help


166 Standard IV bring Taft College into compliance with this standard.

Planning Agenda

Adapt the survey that was conducted for the accreditation self study for use in evaluating all functional units and committees on an annual basis.

Complete the update of the strategic planning process.

The Planning Council will utilize its new strategic planning process to develop a system that documents the linkage of budgets and allocation of resources to the planning process.

____________________________________________________________

Taft College students and their families gather for the graduation ceremony.

____________________________________________________________ policies. c. The president assures the implementation of statutes, regulations, and governing board policies and assures that institutional practices are consistent with institutional mission and

Description

Statutes and regulations are identified in board policies which are the framework around which all


Standard IV activities are conducted. To assist the president with understanding and complying with these regulations, the president attends workshops provided by the

Community College League of

California (CCLC). Likewise, the president is a board member of the

Association of California

Community College Administrators where statutes and regulations impacting community colleges are a regular topic of discussion.

88

Likewise, managers can attend workshops regarding laws and compliance with those laws.

To ensure that any proposed activities are consistent with the institutional mission, proposed changes are funneled through the

Planning Council and Academic

Senate when appropriate which assures that the changes will be consistent with the institutional mission and policies.

The superintendent/president meets regularly with his administrators and the Academic

Senate president to make certain that all college activities are in compliance with statutes, regulations and board policies. He meets twice a month with the

Planning Council, which receives input from the college community and advisory committees, to assure that institutional practices impacting the community are consistent with the college mission and policies. The superintendent/president receives assistance from his administrators,

167

Planning Council, and the Academic

Senate in the implementation of these policies. He uses the

Planning Council as the main communication link to distribute necessary district or state information.

Self-Evaluation


Only 4.8% of respondents on the recent accreditation survey show any disagreement with the statement "New programs and grants are consistent with the college mission statement."

Intensive third year survey results also show considerably high approval ratings for how the new superintendent/president is comporting himself as the college's most recent CEO.

The superintendent/president is an open communicator with an open door policy and provides effective leadership that ensures all statues, regulations and policies are consistently followed.

Planning Agenda

None. d. The president effectively controls budget and expenditures.

Description

Controlling expenditures is of primary importance to Taft College, especially during times of economic


168 hardship. The current president of

Taft College, William Duncan IV, holds a Master’s Degree in Finance and more than ten years experience in senior management in this field. Under his leadership, the district has not only maintained a 5% unrestricted reserve, it has added an additional 7% to that reserve. With a collaborative management style, the president effectively maintains a close relationship with the chief financial officer.

After budgets are determined, each vice president, manager, and division chair is held responsible for staying within the designated budget. To help in this regard, the new implementation of Banner is being configured to allow managers to get real time reports on their budgets and expenditures. This function will be available for use by fall, 2009. Likewise, unit coordinators and directors will have access to budget and expenditure information via the Cognos reporting tool. This type of almostreal-time access to financial data has not been available in the past.

Consequently, planning processes that incorporate this information are still in development or have yet to be developed.

Taft College has recently acquired several grants to augment special categorically funded projects.

Grant administrators and administrative services staff are maintaining close supervision on categorically funded activities to

Standard IV ensure they do not adversely impact the general fund budget.

Cognizant of the importance of maintaining financial stability of the college, Taft College has taken several measures to increase revenues and reduce expenses, as stated in the most recent mission statement. One of those measures was to implement the


Standards Board (GASB) standards of accounting and financial reporting for U.S. state and local governments. GASB is an independent organization that establishes and improves standards of accounting and financial reporting for U.S. state and local governments. Established in 1984 by agreement of the

Financial Accounting Foundation

(FAF) and 10 national associations of state and local government officials, the GASB is recognized by governments, the accounting industry, and the capital markets as the official source of generally accepted accounting principles

(GAAP) for state and local governments.

To further control expenditures, the district retiree benefits committee recently made important changes to retiree benefits to control unfunded retiree health benefits. Although these changes have the potential to reduce benefits to retirees, the

Faculty Association unanimously voted to support the changes because they best met the


Standard IV interests of the district and longterm sustainability of the retiree health benefits program.

89

To secure funding for much needed facilities updates, in March of 2004 residents of the West Kern

Community College District voted to support Measure A, a $39.8 million bond for the construction and renovation of Taft College facilities. This approval makes the college eligible for over $60 million in construction financing from other sources. In all, Taft College will have secured over $100 million available for campus improvements.

Self-Evaluation


The college president effectively controls the budget as evidenced by the college’s strong financial position and reserve.

Planning Agenda

None. e. The president works and communicates effectively with the communities served by the institution.

Description

Taft College plays a large role in the local community, and this is reflected in both the values and goals of Taft College's Mission and

Vision Statement. Effective communication is essential to

169 fulfilling that role. To meet the demands of this role, the president is a member of several local service and governance clubs including Rotary, the Chamber of

Commerce, and the Citizen’s

Oversight Committee. Through these clubs and committees, the president can exchange information regarding the college's activities that impact on the community.

The president also meets with elected Taft City officials on a regular basis to coordinate the college's planning efforts with the city's planning efforts. As an example of these coordinated planning efforts, the ―rails to trails‖ project, in which Taft College students played a large role, was developed. The "rails to trails" project is designed to integrate mass transit with bicycle trails within the city of Taft, especially in those areas directly adjacent to the campus, to increase the public's access to the campus, safety, and physical fitness.

90

Other items of importance to the community are communicated via press releases to the two local newspapers, the Midway Driller and the Taft Independent , and to the

Bakersfield Californian which also has a large world wide web readership. Local television and radio stations have covered numerous events at the college, including the opening of the new library and the groundbreaking for the remodel of the administration


170 building. Of course, Taft College also publishes information regarding events and facilities updates via the Taft College website.

The president also meets regularly with the college's congressional district staff to exchange information on political issues that might impact the college. The congressman’s district director,

Vince Fong, spends time on a regular basis in Taft and uses the

Taft College Library as his base of operations.

91

Brochures with highlights of Taft

College's activities are occasionally published and distributed.

92

Self-Evaluation

Taft College’s president has been successful in meeting this standard. Despite this success, the need to engage the local community at all levels regarding educational, social, and economic development has been acknowledged. To fully realize this partnership with the local community, the college has determined that strengthening the

Taft College Foundation would be beneficial both to enhance the perception of the college and to strengthen the local community by meeting its needs for educational, social, and economic development.

Consequently, these goals were incorporated into the current mission statement and efforts are being directed toward achieving


Standard IV these goals.

Planning Agenda

Hire a foundation director to coordinate the activities of and augment the role of the foundation.

Publish regular brochure on health of the institution.



2 Planning Council Member List

3 Division Chairs Meeting Agendas

4 TCFCBC Minutes

5 Board Policy 3250

6 Datatel Contract

7 Planning Council Minutes January,

2008

8 Board Retreat Minutes April, 2009

9 Planning Council Retreat Minutes

April, 2009

10 Strategic Plan

11 ASB Charter

12 Evaluation Process

13 Faculty and Staff Survey

14 Academic Senate Charter


16 CSEA Charter


18 Curriculum Committee Minutes

19 All Completed Program Reviews—

IAR&P website

20 Faculty Handbook

21 Institutional Student Learning

Outcomes



23 SLOASC Charter and Responsibilities

24 California Community Colleges

Chancellor’s Office Website

<http://www.cccco.edu/>

25 Taft College Website Measure A


A/MeasureA_home.asp>

Standard IV 171

26 Email from Henry Yong to Editing

Committee

27 WASC Academic Resource

Conference Program, 2008

28 Certificate of Participation ASCCC

Accreditation Institute 2009

29 WASC Academic Resource

Conference 2009 Program

30 Taft College Midterm Report

31 Annual Report Update to ACCJC

2008

32 Solo Abstract

33 Co-op Abstract

34 Math Science Transfer Abstract

35 CRAA/HSI STEM Abstract

36 Mobile Science Lab Flyer

37 First Five of Kern Award Letter

38 Partnership Agreement

39 Face Sheet—Dental Hygiene Grant

2008

40 Face Sheet—Dental Hygiene Grant

2009

41 SSPIRE Award Letter

42 Award Letters—TIL


44 Faculty Information ―Evaluation of

Instruction‖ pages 11-14

45 HR Performance Evaluations,

Classified/Probationary

46 HR Business Process Analysis,

Performance Evaluations

Management

47 HR Procedure for Administrator

Evaluation

48 Superintendent/President

Evaluation—Board Policy 2435

49 CCSSE Survey Summary IAR&P

Website

50 Taft College Board of Trustees

Member List


Administration/Board/index.html>

51 Taft College Board of Trustees Board

Policies and Procedures


Administration/Board/policy.htm>



54 Board Procedure 2710

55 Board Procedure 2712







62 Adopted Budget for Fiscal Year 2008-

2009

63 Investment Firm Contract

64 Board Minutes June 10, 2009

65 Daily Email Report to Debbie

Hegeman


67 Board Minutes January 8, 2009







74 Presidential Evaluation Survey

75 Email from Judy Wade to Eric

Berube, June 16, 2009

76 Job Description – Vice President of

Administrative Services, West Kern

Community College District


Instruction, West Kern Community

College District


Student Services, West Kern


79 Job Description – Director of

Information Services, West Kern


80 Position Announcement –

Coordinator of Institutional

Assessment, Research and Planning

81 Presidential Cabinet Minutes (this confidential information is housed in the President’s Office and available if needed)

82 IAR&P Mission Statement

<http://planning.taftcollege.edu/ind ex.php?pageid=about>

83 IBM Cognos site <http://www-

01.ibm.com/software/data/cognos/>

84 Madrid Scan Summary

85 CTE program review

86 <IAR&P Website- Planning Calendar http://planning.taftcollege.edu/index

.php?pageid=plancal3>

87 Draft of all Charters

88 ACCCA Documentation


172

89 Faculty Association Minutes for

Retiree Health Benefit Approval

90 Taft Chamber of Commerce Rails to

Trails Booklet

91 Congressman Kevin McCarthy’s website

<http://kevinmccarthy.house.gov/sh owarticle2.asp?ID=111>

92 Brochure for TC activities

Standard IV


Appendices 173

Appendices

____________________________________________________________

Students practice their newly acquired skills in the chemistry lab.

____________________________________________________________


174 Appendices

Appendix A

Planning Summary

Appendix A presents a distillation of institutional level planning agendas identified by the accreditation study committees. Planning agenda items pertaining to individual divisions or units are not included in this summary as they are given under the relevant standards. Planning items are categorized under one of the four accreditation standards.

Standard I: Institutional Mission and Effectiveness

Review Mission Statement once each year.

Develop an educational master planning process and plan to drive the facilities planning process.

Review planning processes on a regular basis to ensure linkage of planning to budgeting/allocation process and program review.

Disseminate planning process information to the campus community.

Evaluate all committee and departments on a regular basis.

Optimize the use of automation for reports and assessment.

Create an emergency response plan.

Standard II: Student Learning Programs and Services

Conduct program reviews for vocational and occupational programs every two years.

Planning Council will utilize program reviews to determine priorities, opportunities, and commitment to career and technical education programs and all other programs.

The Planning Council will ensure the implementation of the plans for career and technical education programs and other programs.

Conduct more SLO training sessions to continue Taft College’s march toward an SLO learning culture.

Taft College will allocate budgetary resources for professional development and training opportunities for faculty and staff alike, and promote and provide incentives for continuing education.


Appendices 175

Standard III: Resources

Refine the process for selecting personnel, as it provides an inherent means for assessing criteria and qualifications and improving selection of personnel to meet the evolving needs of students, the community, and the college.

Develop a professional code of ethics applicable to the entire college through a shared governance process.

Address the issue of including non-teaching faculty in calculating the college’s compliance with the 75-25 rule.

Conduct additional student surveys to continue to improve satisfaction with classroom equipment and maintenance to enhance student learning.

Analyze the facilities funding allocation model to provide more staffing.

Implement program review in the Maintenance and Operations

Department.

Integrate technology planning into the strategic planning process.

Develop an electronic Budget Development Calendar and other tools on the college intranet.

Make financial reports available on the college website for easy access by all stakeholders. Specifically, documents must show how allocations are directly linked to institutional goals. Included in the process should be a description of how the allocations are evaluated and the results used as a basis for future improvements.

Develop an effective analytic process to examine programs and evaluate them for alignment to mission statements, resource allocations, institutional and student learning outcomes, and end results.

Standard IV: Leadership and Governance

Develop a mechanism to evaluate and provide feedback regarding the efficiency and effectiveness of governance structures and practices.

Hire a foundation director to coordinate the activities of and augment the role of the foundation.

Publish regular brochure on health of the institution.


176 Appendices

Appendix B

Acronyms Used in the Self Study Report

Acronym

ACCJC

DHS

DL

DLI

DSA

DSPS

ECE

ADA

ALA

AP

AP

ARCC

ASB

ASE

CalPASS

CalWORKs

CASA

CCC

CCLC

CCL

CCSSE

CELSA

CEO

CLA

CLEP

COMDA

CSEA

CSU

CTA

CTE

Meaning

Accrediting Commission for

Community and Junior

Colleges

American Dental Association

American Library Association

Addington Partnership

Advanced Placement

Accountability Reporting for

Community Colleges

Associated Student Body

Automotive Service

Excellence

California Partnership for

Achieving Student Success

California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids

Center for Academic Success and Assistance

California Community

Colleges

Community College League of California

Council of Chief Librarians

Community College Survey of

Student Engagement

Combined English Language

Skills Assessment

Chief Executive Officer

California Library Association

College-Level Examination

System

Committee on Dental

Auxiliaries

California School Employees

Association

California State University

California Teachers ’

Association

Career and Technical

Education

Department of Human

Services

Distance Learning

Distance Learning Institute

Division of the State Architect

Disabled Students Programs and Services

Early Childhood Education

Acronym

EEO

EOPS/CARE

ERP

ESL

Etudes

FAF

FASB

FERPA

FMLA

FTES

FUSION

GAAP

GASB

GE

GOLD

HSI

HSIAC

HVAC

IAR&P

IGETC

ILS

ISLO

IT

ITC

LASSI

LD

Meaning

Equal Employment

Opportunity

Extended Opportunities

Programs and

Services/Cooperative

Agencies Resources for

Education

Enterprise Resource Planning

English as a Second

Language

Easy to Use Distance

Education Software

Financial Accounting

Foundation

Financial Accounting

Standards Board

Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act

Family Medical Leave Act

Full Time Equivalent Student

Facility Utilization Space

Inventory Option Net

Generally Accepted

Accounting Principles


Standards Board

General Education

Guided Outcomes for

Learning Development

Hispanic Serving Institute

Hispanic Serving Institutions

Assisting Communities

Heating, Ventilating, and Air

Conditioning


Research, and Planning

Intersegmental General

Education Transfer

Curriculum

Integrated Library System

Institutional Student Learning

Outcome



Committee

Learning and Study

Strategies Inventory

Learning Disabilities


Appendices

Acronym

LOEP

LRC

MAPP

MIS

NKTC

OC

OMB

OSCAR

PFE

PTK

RDH

RFP

SARS

SIA

SIG

SLO

SLOASC

SSI

Meaning

Levels of English Proficiency

Learning Resources Center

Monitored Academic

Probation Program

Management Information

Systems

North Kern Training Center

On-Campus

Office of Management and

Budget

On-line Services for

Curriculum and Articulation

Review

Partnership for Excellence

Phi Theta Kappa

Registered Dental Hygienist

Request for Proposal

Scheduling and Reporting

System

Supplemental Instructional

Assistant

Strata Information Group

Student Learning Outcome

Student Learning Outcomes

Advisory and Steering

Committee

Noel-Levitz Student

Satisfaction Inventory

177

Acronym

SSPIRE

SSS

STEM

SWACC

TANF

TAPT

TCCCBC

TCFCBC

TCI

TIL

UC

VA

VOIP

WESTEC

WKCCD

Meaning

Student Support Partnership

Integrating Resources


Science, Technology,

Engineering, and

Mathematics

Statewide Association of

Community Colleges

Temporary Assistance for

Needy Families

Taft disAbilities Partnership

Team

Taft College Classified

Collective Bargaining

Committee

Taft College Faculty

Collective Bargaining

Committee

Taft Correctional Institute

Transition to Independent

Living

University of California

Veterans Assistance

Voice Over Internet Protocol

Westside Energy Services

Training and Education

Center

West Kern Community

College District


178 Appendices

Appendix C

Organizational Structure Charts

____________________________________________________________

Cougie the Mascot leads a cheer for the women's volleyball team.

____________________________________________________________


Appendices 187

This report was prepared using Microsoft Word 2007. The font used for the body of the report is Verdana size 12. Tables and figures use Arial font size

10. The organizational charts were created with Microsoft Visio using a size 8

Arial font.

The report covers were designed by Eduardo Silvera of AP Architects.

Additional photos inside the report were provided by Taft College Professor

Brian Jean and Research Technician Jason Zsiba.


188

Taft College

Institutional Self Study Report in Support of Reaffirmation of Accreditation

Appendices


Appendices

President


179

180

Administration


Appendices

Appendices

Administrative Services


181

182

Instruction—Faculty with Teaching Assignments

Appendices


Appendices

Instruction—Staff and Faculty with Non-Teaching Assignments

183


184

Student Services

Appendices


Appendices

Associate Dean, Student Services


185

186



Appendices

Taft College

Addendum to Institutional Self Study Report in Support of Reaffirmation of Accreditation

Submitted by

West Kern Community College District

29 Emmons Park Drive

Taft CA 93268 to

Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges

Western Association of Schools and Colleges

September 2009

ii Addendum to the Self Study Report

The North Kern Training Center is located in the town of Shafter, California, about 18 miles north-northwest of Bakersfield and about 30 miles north of

Taft.


Addendum to the Self Study Report iii

Table of Contents

Table of Contents ................................................................................ iii

Changes since the Completion of the Self Study Report ............................. 1

Standard I ................................................................................... 1

Standard II ................................................................................. 2

Standard III ................................................................................ 4

Standard IV ................................................................................. 5

WESTEC .............................................................................................. 7

History ........................................................................................ 7

Organization ................................................................................ 9

Mission Statement ...................................................................... 10

Business Relationship ................................................................. 10

WESTEC Locations ...................................................................... 10

Programs and Courses ................................................................ 12

Student Enrollments and Demographics ........................................ 13

Responses to Recommendations from the Most Recent Comprehensive

Evaluation ................................................................................. 21

Typographical Errors and Points of Clarification in the Self Study Report .... 21

Appendix: Organizational Structure Chart .............................................. 23


iv Addendum to the Self Study Report

Transition to Independent Living Coordinator Jeff Ross (left) and

Superintendent/President William Duncan (third from left) pose with Senator

Edward Kennedy and Lobbyist Dave Miller (right) during a recent trip to

Washington to lobby for disabled student program funds.


1 Addendum to the Self Study Report

S

Addendum to the Institutional Self Study Report ince the Accreditation Self Study Committees completed their narratives for the Self Study Report almost a year ago, Taft College has continued to meet student and community needs by adding to its high quality services and facilities. This addendum seeks to describe those additions and to provide further information on programs and services that were only briefly covered in the Self Study Report, namely the Westside Services Training and

Education Center (WESTEC) operations. Lastly, this addendum corrects a few typographical errors in the Self Study Report.

Changes since the Completion of the Self Study Report

Changes occurring at Taft College since the completion of the Self Study

Report are described in this section of the Addendum under the appropriate standard heading.

Standard I

Strategic Planning Process

Taft College has extended its contract with the Datatel Center for

Institutional Effectiveness (DCIE) for one more semester to continue developing and implementing a sustainable, useful strategic planning process. Consultant Burt Peachy will meet with the staff of the Office of Institutional Assessment, Research and Planning (IAR&P) and with the Planning Council throughout the fall 2009 semester. DCIE will also help Taft College develop strategic Key Success Indicators (KSIs) aligned with college and division goals, and a "dashboard" to allow monitoring of all KSI in real time.

Banner Implementation

Taft College retained the services of the Strata Information Group

(SIG) to assist with the college's implementation of Banner. After extensive evaluation of Taft College's ongoing efforts to implement

Banner, SIG has provided the college with two reports with recommendations. These reports are being studied by management.

Cognos Implementation

Taft College continues to develop its reporting capability with the

Cognos reporting tool. Information Technology and IAR&P staff are receiving additional training in the use of Cognos to develop data



"packages" so that the powerful reporting tool's potential can benefit all departments on campus.

FTES Reporting Efficiency

FTES expert and consultant John Mullen was hired to evaluate Taft

College's FTES reporting procedures and to advise the college on procedures and structural changes that could potentially benefit the college in regards to receiving increased apportionment. Mullen gave a demonstration to faculty and staff at the fall 2009 inservice and his report was shared with the college in September, 2009.

Standard II

Instructional Programs

Several new programs have been developed and have been implemented or are pending approval from the Chancellor's Office: o Management degree and certificate; o a Customer Service certificate; o a Welding degree; o five Welding certificates; o an Energy Technician degree and certificate; o two new Early Childhood Education (ECE) certificates after aligning the ECE program with statewide program; o a Direct Support Education degree and certificate; o many changes to the automotive program with one new certificate; o 36 new courses approved for the world renowned Transition to

Independent Living (TIL) program in addition to a new certificate; o a Concealed Carry Permit and other firearms training courses are now being offered; and o Taft College is in discussions with Fresno Pacific University to offer undergraduate courses to local students who are considering transferring to Fresno Pacific University. Also, a cohort program to meet general education requirements is being discussed.

Head Librarian Retirement

After ten years of service, Head Librarian Dr. Mimi Collins retired from

Taft College. Recruiting to fill the position is being delayed to save money during the state budget crisis. In the meantime, Instructional

Librarian Dave Berry is serving in that capacity.


Addendum to the Self Study Report 3

New Foundation Director

The position of Foundation Director was filled and is slated to begin in

September, 2009. The Foundation Director will work with the community to meet their needs and to seek new sources of funding for

Taft College programs.

Student Learning Outcomes o The SLO culture at Taft College is developing from the groundwork laid in 2008-2009 by faculty, as reported in the Self Study Report.

New developments include the activation of the Student Learning

Outcomes Assessment Steering Committee (SLOASC), offering the fall 2009 SLO Assessment Team, updates to the Taft College SLO webpage, and an award bequeathed by the California Community

Colleges Network for Student Learning Outcomes Assessment to

Taft College’s SLO Coordinator recognizing his outstanding contributions. o The new Student Learning Outcomes Assessment Steering

Committee (SLOASC) includes representatives from all five instructional divisions, counseling, WESTEC, and IAR&P. The committee met on Friday, September 11 th , 2009. Agenda items for that meeting included a new policy for approving and publishing

SLOs, criteria for approving SLOs, incorporating program SLOs into program review, and using the ACCJC Institutional Effectiveness

Rubric for Student Learning Outcomes to target areas of progress for Taft College. o Additionally, the fall 2009 SLO Assessment Team application deadline was Friday, September 11. Only a few faculty and administrators have applied to date, but among them is Val Garcia,

Associate Dean of Instruction. The SLO Assessment Team is now being offered for the fourth time. This is the first semester that an administrator has volunteered to be an active participant in one of the teams. o New course SLOs for art, astronomy, and one Spanish course were developed by faculty over the summer or during the first few weeks of the fall semester. o Regrettably, the Taft College SLO webpage is no longer current, but the SLO Coordinator is working to update it. In spring of 2009, the campus server stopped supporting FrontPage file extensions. At


4 Addendum to the Self Study Report that time, the SLO Coordinator was only proficient in FrontPage. On

Friday, September 4, the SLO Coordinator met with a design instructor to become better equipped to update the page using different software. As a result, the SLO webpage will be updated this semester to house Taft College’s most current SLOs. o The CCC Network for SLO Assessment, a collaboration between the

California Community Colleges Academic Senate and the Research and Planning (RP) Group, has named Geoffrey Dyer, Taft College’s

SLO Coordinator “Rookie of the Year.” The award is one of twenty

Promising Outcomes Work and Exemplary Research (POWER) awards granted to individuals in California community colleges working with SLOs. Geoffrey will attend the Strengthening Student

Success conference on October 7 to receive the award, speak, and bring materials back to Taft College.

Tutoring and Supplemental Instruction

Taft College's tutoring services, formerly under the direction of the

Learning and Resource Center, were combined with the Supplemental

Instruction Program to bring all services under a single umbrella. It is hoped that the higher degree of coordination of the programs will have a positive impact on student success.

Standard III

Positions/Employees

Four new faculty positions have been filled: (1) dental hygiene; (2) science; (3) energy; and (4) management.

Implementation of Banner

Despite a loss of key employees in the Information Technology area,

Taft College continues to make progress implementing various modules of Banner. At present, Taft College has implemented the student, finance, and financial aid modules. The human resources module is in the process of being implemented.

Facilities o The science building modernization was completed during the summer of 2009 and students are utilizing the building as of fall

2009;


Addendum to the Self Study Report 5 o The modernization of the Technical Arts classroom building is scheduled to begin in January of 2010. Additionally the Vocational

Arts classroom building which now houses our IT Department is slated to be demolished during the spring of 2010 so that the new

Transition to Independent Living Program buildings can built in its place; o At the time of this writing, the quad area is being renovated with updated landscaping, walkways, and areas for students to relax and socialize between classes; o Funding has been secured for and construction will soon begin on a new maintenance and operations building; and o A new computer lab was opened in the "swing space" modulars that were vacated when the updated science building opened.

Implementation of Check Printing Software

Taft College's Business Administration Office has taken over the duties of printing payroll checks for West Kern Community College District employees, a task formerly undertaken by Kern County. This task has necessitated numerous changes in procedures for staff in the Human

Resources and Payroll Offices.

Standard IV

President Lobbying for Disabled Students

Superintendent/President Duncan has continued to work on important federal legislation to expand programs for students with disabilities.

The Taft College Transition to Independent Living (TIL) Program is a model program that has become recognized both nationally and internationally. President Duncan has worked with Legislators including

Senator Edward Kennedy to draft legislation that ultimately was approved in the reauthorization of the Higher Education Opportunity

Act in 2008. That legislation would create post secondary model demonstration programs for students with Autism and Intellectual

Disabilities. The legislation is now in the appropriations process and will be considered for the 2010 budget year.

President Duncan has also co-founded and chairs the Community

College Consortium for Autism and Intellectual Disabilities which has approximately forty member colleges. The member colleges either have or are working to develop programs similar to the TIL program at

Taft College.



Improved Relations with High School

Taft College has partnered with the Taft Union High School District

(TUHSD) to provide local high school students with the opportunity to enroll in college credit courses. This two part program is called the

College Concurrent Program. The first part of this program entails a college level course being taught at the high school during regular high school hours by a qualified high school instructor employed and paid by the TUHSD. This instructor maintains contact with a disciplinespecific college mentor throughout the course to ensure the integrity and standards of the course are met. The college mentor also provides support and assistance as needed.

The second part of the program entails providing selected high school students access to distance learning college courses. These online courses are a regular part of the college semester offerings, except the high school will allow students to work on their classes during regularly scheduled class time. The high school teacher assists with the class, but the instructor is a Taft College faculty member.

Students must meet high school requirements to enroll and then are assessed through the regular college assessment process. During the fall 2009 semester, English 1500, Composition and Reading, is being taught on-site with 21 high school students enrolled. The two distance learning classes being taught this fall include Psychology 1500,

Introduction to Psychology, with 24 students enrolled and INCO 1548,

Information Competency, with 18 students enrolled. Classes to be offered during the spring term include English 1600, Critical Thinking,

Literature, and Composition, and Sociology 1510, Introductory

Sociology.

A full evaluation of this pilot project will be conducted by all participating faculty members with reports submitted to Taft College, the TUHSD administration, and the college Academic Senate, before the next year is planned.



WESTEC

At the time of the writing of the Self Study Report, student data on Taft

College's Westside Energy Services Training and Education Center (WESTEC) programs were not available to the Institutional Assessment, Research, and

Planning (IAR&P) Office via the Decision Support System (DSS) data warehouse maintained by Taft College. Consequently, this Addendum presents an overview of that student demographic and enrollment information and provides context on WESTEC operations and WESTEC's relationship to Taft College.

History

Westside Energy Services Training and Education Center, Incorporated was founded in 1982 in response to a need for vocational training specific to petroleum and its related industries. In 1982, Taft College President David

Cothrun and Richard Mallard, with the support of the West Kern Community

College District (WKCCD) Board of Trustees founded WESTEC. Trustee John

Miller, David Cothrun, and Richard Mallard conducted national research to determine the appropriate foundation for WESTEC. Richard Mallard’s background at Williams Brothers Engineering gave him an industry perspective that informed planning. The result of their work was WESTEC.

Now, more than 20 years later, WESTEC is still responding to the needs of industry, and not just those producing energy. The programs offered are applicable to a wide range of light-to-heavy industries.

The initial programs of WESTEC were built in response to Kern County’s abundant oil industry and need for proper training. One of WESTEC’s initial programs was Well Control. Overseen by the Department of the Interior,

Minerals Management System, the curriculum of this program dealt, in part, with providing employees with training to be compliant with federal regulations pertaining to well control. Shortly thereafter, WESTEC developed a Well Servicing Program to train employees to work on well servicing rigs.

Pool Well Servicing provided the initial rig and equipment.

In 1983, WESTEC launched its Associates Degree in Petroleum Technology to train students to become assistants and operators in the field of petroleum.

At this time, major oil corporations hired employees to do their own drilling, and the degree was a way for a potential employee to develop necessary skills to perform in the industry. However, this ambitious program was short lived because of the drop in oil prices in 1985, and the resultant economic downturn in the oil industry.



The consequence of the unforeseen reduction in the value of oil changed the industry tremendously. Jobs once performed by technicians were now taken by engineers. Additionally, major corporations began hiring contractors to perform drilling operations. By 1985, many former employees of major corporations were seeking employment on drilling rigs from contractors servicing corporations.

In 1989, the California legislature enacted Senate Bill 198, which mandated that employers provide adequate safety training to and procedures for all employees. Failure to do so could make an employer criminally liable. The bill became effective in 1991. As a result, WESTEC worked with local industry to develop their Passport class, now a 9.5 hour class that employees can take to be compliant with Senate Bill 198. Passport grew out of collaboration with local industry and WESTEC’s existing Basic Employee

Safety Training (BEST) curriculum. WESTEC’s Passport class offers local industry viable safety training for employees and now accounts for approximately 65% of WESTEC’s revenue.

In 1997, WESTEC began a contract with Taft College for special topics oil classes consisting of eight hour lecture labs. In addition, WESTEC facilitated the creation and development of Taft College’s successful Dental Hygiene

Program as a response to local need. Until 2007, Criminal Justice was offered through WESTEC for Taft College. WESTEC’s Parolee Program has outstanding success in placing individuals rehabilitating into society into the workforce and keeping them there. Currently, WESTEC offers Passport,

Court Reporting, two Pediatric programs, and Forklift Operation for Taft

College. WESTEC offers sections of these classes in Spanish, and their entire front office staff is bilingual.

In 2004, Taft College relocated its Distance Learning Institute (DLI) to the

Taft WESTEC facility to improve communications between WESTEC and the main campus. Because of extensive organizational restructuring and facilities updates at Taft College, the DLI moved back to the main campus in June of

2006. The organizational restructuring integrated DLI services with general counseling in the Student Services Building at the College. Subsequently, counselors and advisors met the needs of the North Kern Training Center

(NKTC) students by scheduling set dates each semester to provide services at the NKTC during the 2008-2009 school year. During the fall 2008 semester, a counselor/advisor was available one day per week from 12:00-

6:00. Fliers were passed out and placed on the Taft College table, and class presentations were made to the Court Reporting (CTRP) classes. Due to the low number of students scheduling appointments, a counselor/advisor was made available one day every other week during the spring 2009 semester from 11:00-5:00. Application and registration assistance was available,


Addendum to the Self Study Report 9 counseling and advising services and assessment/placement exams were conducted as a group or on a one-on-one basis. At the end of the spring

2009 semester, a part-time Distance Learning Advisor was hired, and is responsible for the bi-weekly services at the NKTC, scheduling set dates throughout the summer 2009 semester, and currently during the fall 2009 semester. All matriculation services available to traditional students on the college campus have been extended to and are readily available to students on the NKTC and WESTEC campuses. An office is set up and a desktop computer has been purchased for the matriculation services at the NKTC campus.

Organization

WESTEC is overseen by a board of directors consisting of numerous community representatives, including various petroleum industry representatives, administrators from Taft College and Bakersfield College, and law enforcement professionals. WESTEC's Executive Director is responsible to the board. The board meets quarterly and board meetings are generally open to the public. WESTEC board members are listed in the following table and WESTEC's organizational structure is shown in the

Appendix.

WESTEC Board Members

Member

Sheryl Chalupa

Greg Chamberlain

David Cothrun

Willy Duncan

Claude Fiddler

Charlie Fivecoat

John Griffith

Alan Pounds

Richard Mallard

Mario Martinez

Ken McMinn

John Miller

Sam Monroe

Christine Randall

Darwin Sainz

Sandra Serrano

Art Spaulding

Henry Yong

Title

Executive Director Goodwill Industries

Bakersfield College President

President of the Westec Board, Retired Taft College President

Taft College President

Retired Petroleum

Chief of Police, Shafter PD

Secretary/Treasurer of Westec Board, Vice President of

Administrative Services, Taft College

Nabors Well Services

Executive Director

KC Parole Agent

Chief of Police, Taft PD

WKCCD Board Member, non-voting Westec board member

Retired Chevron Texaco

Wood and Randall

Retired Petroleum

Chancellor KCCD

WESTEC

Vice President of Instruction, Taft College



Mission Statement

Westec's Mission Statement reads as follows:

WESTEC provides cost-effective, short-term, quality training that improves workforce knowledge and skills. Toward that end, we determine training requirements, create and carry out training programs, develop means to effectively conduct these programs, and keep accurate training records. WESTEC conducts its activities in collaboration with private companies, government agencies and various California Community Colleges.

Business Relationship

WESTEC performs educational services for both Taft College and Bakersfield

College at the North Kern Training Center. All Instructors are WESTEC employees but must meet minimum qualifications and are approved by the respective campus prior to teaching any course. Additionally, all courses are approved through the campus curriculum process prior to being offered.

Students who wish to take Taft College classes from WESTEC register at the

North Kern Training Center and are enrolled as Taft College Students. Taft

College has an annual contract with WESTEC to pay an agreed upon rate per seat hour for each student who takes an approved course. Taft College then submits the enrollment from those classes for apportionment. WESTEC collects all enrollment fees and remits those to Taft College.

WESTEC Locations

WESTEC Main Location

Until 2009, many WESTEC classes were taught at WESTEC’s main location in Taft. The facility was originally constructed as an automotive dealership and houses numerous rooms that serve as offices, classrooms, and shop rooms. Currently, this facility is used to offer Taft College classes not handled by WESTEC, such as automotive and welding.

North Kern Training Center

The North Kern Training Center is currently WESTEC’s home base of operations. It is located in Shafter, California, placing it geographically in the Kern Community College District; however, WESTEC offers classes for West Kern Community College District’s Taft College as well as Kern Community College District’s Bakersfield College.

The facility houses classrooms for Passport, Forklift Safety, Court



Reporting, Criminal Justice, and other course offerings. The front office staff at the North Kern Training Center are bilingual.

WESTEC’s “Course Evaluation” bubble sheet is administered to students of WESTEC, and the responses are aggregated in WESTEC’s own database. Three questions on the evaluation sheet pertain to facilities. Based on student responses, WESTEC made an intervention and improved the restrooms of the North Kern Training Center. In

2007-2008, the evaluations showed that 13-22% of respondents indicated that the restrooms needed improvement. After improving the facilities, by mid 2008-2009, the percentage fell to 1-2%.

However, the facility itself is an old school from the middle of the last century. WESTEC administrators indicated that the facility would be improved with new paint. The electrical system is outdated, ineffective, and requires costly, nearly obsolete components when repairs are made.



Programs and Courses

WESTEC offers numerous programs and services designed to meet community needs. Among these are the popular "passport" classes—one day courses focusing on mandated safety procedures for oilfield workers. Many courses are offered in both English and Spanish. The following table lists a selection of WESTEC's offerings through Taft College.

WESTEC Classes

Class

CJA 1100

CJA 1101

IES 1059

IES 1100

IES 1102

IES 1103

IES 1104

IES 1105

IES 1106

IES 1107

IES 1108

IES 1109

IES 1112

IES 1113

IES 1114

IES 1115

IES 1116

IES 1117

IES 1118

IES 1119

IES 1120

PETC 1100

PETC 1102

PETC 1103

Description

Intermediate Firearms Familiarization

Basic Firearms Familiarization

Trainer Course in OSHS for the Construction Industry

Basic Employee Safety for General Industry

Passport Safety Training

Plus Safety Training

Supervisory Safety Training 8 Hour

Mine Safety and Health Refresher

Hazmat First Responder Awareness

Medic First Aid Training/CPR

HAZWOPER Annual Refresher

Emergency Response Technician Training

Forklift Training for Operators

California Commercial Driver License Permit Preparation

Confined Space Entrant, Attendant, Supervisor Awareness and Rescue

California Oil Producers Confined Space Entry Training

HAZWOPER Training

Supervising for Safety

Confined Space Training for Supervisors

Defensive Driving Course

Confined Space Attendant/Entrant Plus CIC

Introductory Well Control

Basic Drilling and Workover Surace

Basic Drilling Surface Stack

Basic Drilling and Workover Sub Sea PETC 1104



Student Enrollments and Demographics

Enrollment trends and demographic profiles of WESTEC students from spring 2005 to fall 2008 are presented in this section. Enrollment trends include numbers of students enrolled in WESTEC courses by semester from spring 2005 to fall 2008. Demographic profiles include numbers and percentages by age, gender, and race of all students enrolled in WESTEC courses during this time period, broken out by semester of enrollment. The "total" row on each table represents the number of students enrolled each semester.

The autoshop program located on the grounds recently vacated by

WESTEC has been enhanced by the purchase of new lifts, toolboxes, and tools and by the refurbishing of facilities.



Student Age

Table 1. Number and Percentage of WESTEC Students by Age for Spring 2005 to Fall 2008

Semester

Age

Group

2005 2006

Spring Sum Fall Spring Sum Fall Spring

2007

Sum

18-23

24-29

30-39

40-49

50+

(unknown)

1,246

18.6%

1,398

20.9%

1,712

25.6%

1,422

21.3%

849

12.7%

59

0.9%

860

22.8%

829

22.0%

925

24.5%

721

19.1%

390

10.3%

44

1.2%

1,271

19.1%

1,427

21.4%

1,701

25.6%

1,374

20.6%

837

12.6%

46

0.7%

1,561

20.5%

1,617

21.2%

1,962

25.8%

1,478

19.4%

926

12.2%

73

1.0%

1,247

24.8%

1,167

23.2%

1,198

23.9%

886

17.6%

449

8.9%

74

1.5%

1,645

21.5%

1,703

22.2%

1,975

25.8%

1,425

18.6%

850

11.1%

60

0.8%

1,839 1,186

21.5% 26.0%

1,982 935

23.2% 20.5%

2,149 1,082

25.2% 23.7%

1,653 796

19.4% 17.5%

850 471

10.0% 10.3%

69

0.8%

86

1.9%

Fall

1,520

21.2%

1,590

22.2%

1,812

25.3%

1,361

19.0%

812

11.3%

78

1.1%

Spring

2,094

22.2%

2,083

22.1%

2,356

25.0%

1,792

19.0%

1,009

10.7%

89

0.9%

2008

Sum

1,568

24.2%

1,442

22.2%

1,540

23.8%

1,114

17.2%

725

11.2%

95

1.5%

6,686 3,769 6,656 7,617 5,021 7,658 8,542 4,556 7,173 9,423 6,484 9,986

Total

100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0%

Table 1, like all the tables in this section of the Addendum Report, presents an overview of enrollment trends at WESTEC. The total number of students enrolled at WESTEC increased from 6,556 in fall of 2005 to 9,986 in fall of 2008, an increase of about 50% in four years.

Because the demographic tables are difficult to decipher at a glance, narratives describing the demographic variables are provided under each figure following a table.

Fall

2,200

22.0%

2,316

23.2%

2,566

25.7%

1,728

17.3%

1,070

10.7%

106

1.1%



Figure 1. WESTEC Students by Age for Spring 2005 to Fall 2008

3,000

18-23 24-29 30-39

2,500

40-49 50+

2,000

1,500

1,000

500

0

Spring Summer Fall Spring Summer Fall Spring Summer Fall Spring Summer Fall

2005 2006 2007 2008

Semester

Students in the 30 to 39 age group generally are the largest group at WESTEC, although this trend does not hold throughout all terms. As mentioned under Table 1, the general rise in numbers can clearly be seen over the four year timeframe. Spring 2009 data were not available at the time of analysis. The peaks seen in the spring semesters represent seasonal demands for training.



Student Gender

Table 2. Number and Percentage of WESTEC Students by Gender for Spring 2005 to Fall 2008

Semester

Gender 2005 2006 2007

Female

Male

(unknown)

Total

2008

Spring

980

Sum

507

14.7% 13.5%

5,705 3,262

85.3% 86.5%

Fall

765

Spring

952

11.5% 12.5%

5,891 6,665

88.5% 87.5%

Sum

605

12.0%

4,415

87.9%

Fall

828

Spring

930

10.8% 10.9%

6,830 7,612

89.2% 89.1%

Sum

457

10.0%

4,099

Fall

703

9.8%

6,470

90.0% 90.2%

Spring

894

9.5%

8,529

90.5%

Sum

540

8.3%

5,943

Fall

815

8.2%

9,171

91.7% 91.8%

1

0.0%

0

0.0%

0

0.0%

0

0.0%

1

0.0%

0

0.0%

0

0.0%

0

0.0%

0

0.0%

0

0.0%

1

0.0%

0

0.0%

6,686 3,769 6,656 7,617 5,021 7,658 8,542 4,556 7,173 9,423 6,484 9,986

100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0%



Figure 2. WESTEC Students by Gender for Spring 2005 to Fall 2008

10,000

9,000

8,000

7,000

6,000

5,000

4,000

3,000

2,000

1,000

0

Females

Males


2005 2006 2007 2008

Semester

The majority of WESTEC students are males taking oilfield safety courses, and the seasonal pattern of enrollments is clearly evident in Figure 2. Large numbers of females enroll in WESTEC courses.



Student Race

Table 3. Number and Percentage of WESTEC Students by Race for Spring 2005 to Fall 2008

Semester

Race

Spring

2005

Sum Fall Spring

2006

Sum Fall Spring

2007

Sum

Asian

Black

Filipino

Hispanic

63

0.9%

549

8.2%

62

0.9%

2,807

42.0%

46

1.2%

378

10.0%

36

1.0%

1,644

43.6%

86

1.3%

534

8.0%

82

1.1%

640

8.4%

75

1.1%

92

1.2%

3,106 3,405

46.7% 44.7%

58

1.2%

466

9.3%

69

1.4%

2,306

45.9%

65

0.8%

616

8.0%

108

1.4%

3,717

48.5%

78

0.9%

715

8.4%

95

1.1%

4,312

50.5%

31

0.7%

395

8.7%

Fall

62

0.9%

640

8.9%

51

1.1%

62

0.9%

2,329 3,376

51.1% 47.1%

Native

American

Pacific

Islander

White

(unknown)

Total

Spring

87

0.9%

775

8.2%

2008

Sum

67

1.0%

544

8.4%

Fall

96

1.0%

838

8.4%

123

1.8%

22

0.3%

2,951

44.1%

109

1.6%

66

1.8%

16

0.4%

1,506

40.0%

77

2.0%

107

1.6%

24

0.4%

2,617

107

1.6%

132

1.7%

35

0.5%

3,082

39.3% 40.5%

149

2.0%

76

1.5%

16

0.3%

1,927

38.4%

103

2.1%

107

1.4%

25

0.3%

2,878

37.6%

142

1.9%

160

1.9%

20

0.2%

2,975

34.8%

187

2.2%

84

1.8%

17

0.4%

1,567

121

1.7%

27

0.4%

2,736

34.4% 38.1%

82

1.8%

149

2.1%

107

1.1%

4,782

50.7%

149

1.6%

40

0.4%

3,304

35.1%

179

1.9%

85

1.3%

3,150

48.6%

97

1.5%

21

0.3%

2,401

37.0%

119

1.8%

3,760

37.7%

156

1.6%

6,686 3,769 6,656 7,617 5,021 7,658 8,542 4,556 7,173 9,423 6,484 9,986

100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0%

98

1.0%

4,834

48.4%

148

1.5%

56

0.6%



Figure 3. WESTEC Students by Race for Spring 2005 to Fall 2008

5,500

5,000

4,500

4,000

Asian

Filipino

Native American

White

Black

Hispanic

Pacific Islander

3,500

3,000

2,500

2,000

1,500

1,000

500

0


2005 2006 2007 2008

Semester

The ethnic profile of WESTEC students reflects the ethnic profile of the communities served by WESTEC, which have become increasingly Hispanic over the last five years. Hispanic and White students constitute the two largest groups enrolled in WESTEC programs. Black students make up a consistent 8 to 10% of the total WESTEC numbers, and the other groups consistently make up 0.5% to 2.0% of the total. The percentage of the total enrolled students for each racial group nearly mirrors the corresponding service area population percentages.


Addendum to the Self Study Report

Taft College used Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Act

(VTEA) funds to expand its popular welding program.


20


Responses to Recommendations from the Most Recent Comprehensive Evaluation

The response to Recommendation 6 included in the Self Study Report was not accurate at the time of its writing. Measures have been taken to meet this recommendation and are described here.


The team recommends the College improve cross-institutional communication between the faculty and staff of the College and

WESTEC and develop stronger educational and career ladder linkage between their related curricula and services.

Cross-institutional communication between Taft College and WESTEC has increased. First, invitations have been extended to WESTEC administrators to attend Division Chairs meetings and Planning Council meetings, two important clearing houses of information. As of fall 2009, WESTEC

Director/Chief Instructional Officer Randy Kizzar began attending meetings of the Division Chairs. Additionally, cross-institutional communication has been improved by having WESTEC programmer Lisa Brettschneider relocate directly to the main campus to facilitate the transfer of enrollment and other data between WESTEC and the main campus.

Regarding the development of stronger educational and career ladder linkages between related curricula and services, Taft College sends a counselor to visit the WESTEC North Kern Training Center site once every other week to provide students and staff with information regarding programs and services at the main campus site. This effort increases awareness among WESTEC students and staff of the courses and programs available at Taft College. At the end of each semester, these efforts are evaluated for their effectiveness so that improvements can be made.

Typographical Errors and Points of Clarification in the Self Study

Report

The Self Study Report was revised to correct a few minor errors that are noted below and in the preface of the revised report. To ensure the content of the Revised Edition of the Self Study Report remains the same as the original version, no changes were made to the narrative, only to the minor errors mentioned here. The Revised Self Study Report was posted on the

Taft College website.



Preface Pagination

The Preface of the Self Study Report contained a pagination error where the

Table of Contents listing of page numbers differed by one from the actual page numbers.

Organizational Chart

The organizational chart for the Instructional Staff and Faculty with Non-

Teaching Assignments was modified slightly to bring it into concurrence with the organizational structure in place at the time the Self Study Report was written.

Student Demographics

None of the tables and figures in the Self Study Report include WESTEC students due to the unavailability of WESTEC data within the IAR&P Office data warehouse at the time the Self Study Report was written.

Consequently, the Addendum contains a complete overview of WESTEC including student demographic data covering spring 2005 to fall 2008.

Taft College's welding program has recently been expanded to include certificates and a degree.



Appendix: WESTEC Organizational Structure Chart


23

24

Before—The autoshop classroom had old computers, a bench that was too high and too narrow, soiled carpet, and uncomfortable furniture.

After—Taft College students in the automotive program study with comfortable tables, new computers, and a shiny floor.


Taft College

Addendum to Institutional Self Study Report in Support of Reaffirmation of Accreditation


Taft College

STANDARD I

Institutional Mission and Effectiveness

STANDARD II

Student Learning Programs and Services

STANDARD III

Resources

STANDARD IV

Leadership and Governance

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