Office of Instruction and Student Development Update April 11, 2014
AP 4021: Revitalization, Suspension, or Discontinuance
On March 31, the Instructional Council used criteria listed in the Program Analysis Request
(Appendix A) Form in the Interim AP 4021 to identify potential instructional programs to move
forward for analysis through the revitalization, suspension, or discontinuance analysis process. Based
on our review of the data, we decided to recommend the Business Technology and Administration of
Justice programs to the President/Superintendent for further analysis.
Prior to submitting our recommendation to the President, the Deans and I met with the Academic
Senate Co-Presidents on April 6 and talked about how we arrived at the recommendation to forward
the two programs for analysis. We also spoke about how significant it was that the faculty member in
Administration of Justice took a look at his program and decided to submit a Program Analysis
Request Form to the administration for consideration.
I submitted the two Program Analysis Requests to President Smith on April 7. President Smith
approved the two Program Analysis Requests on April 10.
In accordance with the second Interim AP 4021, President Smith’s approval of the two Program
Analysis Request Forms triggers the formation of two Task Forces; one for Business Technology and
one for Administration of Justice. I will work with the Instructional Council and Academic Senate to
identify the Task Force members and determine the Task Force meeting timetable as soon as
possible. Each Task Force will be comprised of the following:
 Two (2) Deans or Directors not connected to the program (to Co-Chair with faculty members
described below)
 One (1) Academic Senate Co-President or a member of the Executive Committee
 Two (2) faculty members who are not members of the program or division appointed by the
Academic Senate (or designee appointed by the President if a faculty member is not available)
 One (1) representative appointed by the President/Superintendent
President’s Smith’s approval of the Program Analysis Request Forms also prompts the completion of
Program Analysis Forms (Appendix B) by the Office of Institutional Research. The Appendix B data
will be provided to the Co-Chairs of the Task Forces by April 24. The Co-Chairs will then begin
work analyzing both quantitative and qualitative data.
Subsequent to review of all of the relevant information, the Task Force, working with the Office of
Institutional Research, will present its findings, including recommendations on a timeframe for
resolution and a course of action to the President/Superintendent no more than 60 days after
formation of the Task Forces unless otherwise agreed to between the Vice President and the Task
Force Co-Chairs.
Our intention is to have the work of the Task Forces completed in enough time to link with the
faculty prioritization process next fall.
Review of English Placement Scores
One of the outcomes of the Gateway Student Success Summit held this past January was the
recognition that several barriers exist that prevent the College from improving student access and
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Office of Instruction and Student Development Update April 11, 2014
success. To address some of the barriers, summit participants asked the College to revisit our
placement processes, expand multiple measures, include review of high school transcripts in the
placement process, and evaluate our math and English placement cut scores.
The English faculty took action recently to address some of the barriers by looking at other California
Community College Accuplacer cut scores and concluding that the scores we were requiring were too
high. After reviewing the data gathered and comparing this with what faculty experience with the
students in their classes they decided to:
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Drop the cut-scores to get into English 1A and English 150 by 5 points. The cut score to
place in English 350 will remain the same.
Create an advising zone of 5 points below the revised cut scores for English 1A, English 150,
and English 350.
Allow students in the new, expanded advising zone to be placed up into the higher level
course if one of the following criteria are met:
o They can provide a high school transcript for their junior and senior years of English
with a GPA of 3.0 (transcript no more than three years old).
o If their high school GPA is less than a 3.0 or the transcript is more than three years old,
they can schedule themselves to take a reading & writing test on campus that will
determine whether they stay in the lower level or move to the next higher level.
o Or, if they’ve placed into the advising zone just below English 1A, they can sign up to
take English 103 (English Jam).
English Jam is a one unit course. The class helps students prepare for English 1A
through a variety of reading and writing activities. If they pass English 103, they can
sign up for English 1A.
Dean Wall has participated in one placement testing session and one group orientation. Using the
revised placement process she and the Counseling Department have been able to move at least 5
students up to the next higher English class and therefore reducing a semester of English coursework
off their educational plan.
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