REDWOODS COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT
Meeting of the Basic Skills Committee
April 19, 2013, FM 107, 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
AGENDA
BSC Mission Statement
Our mission is to improve the retention, persistence, and success of basic skills students
BSC Scope/Function
To recommend and support educational programs, student support services, and matriculation policies that enhance retention, persistence, and academic
success of basic skills students.
1.
To promote the use of effective practices in developmental education for administrative, student services, and instructional programs.
2.
To provide professional development regarding effective practices in developmental education.
3.
To work with Institutional Research in tracking basic skills students from entry to completion.
4.
To assess and evaluate the programs designed to improve student success.
5.
To allocate and oversee expenditures of BSI categorical funds.
Present: Keith Snow-Flamer, Jay Scrivner, Vinnie Peloso, Julia Peterson, Erin Wall, Harry Pike,
Sheila Hall, Jeff Cummings, Crislyn-parker-notes
1. Meeting Called to Order
2. April 5 Notes - Approved as stand
3. Action Items
4. Discussion Items
4.1 CRC Recommendations
 Discussion to create an instructional committee that incorporates EMC and Basic skills.
If needed, taskforce groups can be created to address specific issues. This could reduce
redundancies in committee agendas and enrich overall discussion by bringing groups
together.
 Brief discussion to create a basic skills program, developing curriculum. But this is
beyond the scope of this committee, which evaluates student skills needs.
4.2. Information needed for Institutional Effectiveness Report due 4/30/13
 Crislyn will submit the response below to Keith who make any revisions and copy Erin
 Progress/improvements related to how the committee functioned:
 Improvements were made to the call basic skills funding proposals and the
funding processes greatly improved
 Improvements that the committee plans to make for next year:
 The committee will become more prominent within institution
 BSC will offer more flex activities, including more workshops from 3CSN
 Engage in outreach to certificate programs; discussing the possibility that
promotion of non credit courses to the community can bring successful
completers to CR for credit courses (improving entry into institution through
non-credit);
4.2 Update on Non-credit Course Development:
 Julia and Vinnie are discussing non-credit reading course offerings. Julia is exploring
creating an Enhanced Funding Certificate, which requires two or more classes, approval
from the Chancellor’s Office, and provides the college a higher apportionment (75% vs.
only 60%). They anticipate the certificate available sometime in the fall; non-credit is
open entry/open exit. There was further discussion on how best to accomplish this.
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
Vinnie will discuss with faculty articulating students from non-credit reading into
English and getting buy-in that completers could re-take Acuplacer.
 State Minimum Qualifications do not require a BA degree for non-credit courses. Vinnie
will include state language in course/certificate proposal(s). Keith would initially like to
roll over to full time faculty. Caps will be high on the curriculum proposals due to the
open entry/open exit structure.
 Math department has determined that Math 376 will likely move to non-credit. They are
exploring how to do this; create modular or adapt as taught. In order to garner enough
student interest, math 372 and 376 may need to be combined into an algebra readiness.
Decision to roll-out math non-credit in spring 2014.
 Julia has been looking into computer software that will test, remediate, and issue a
national certificate of placement. She has two each certificate companies and vendors of
interest.
 Erin and Keith will look at the stipend request for the noncredit course development.
 Discussion of a College Readiness Certificate, which would include computer skills,
math, English, guidance and maybe some workforce, which broadens non-credit
possibilities.
4.3 Enrollment Management Plan Review and Revision
 Student Success is reviewing at the current enrollment management plan and suggesting
revisions for fall
4.4 Update on Actual Spending of BSI Funds (if available)
 Not discussed, except agreement to continue the call for proposals until funding is
exhausted. Funding won’t be awarded until after the non-credit stipend determination.
4.5 Review of FYE Planning
 Dialog sessions rescheduled due to campus closure. Move to next agenda
1. Reports
Accuplacer questions for spring 2014 will be updated to improve placement assessments;
fall students can be screened using existing Accuplacer questions for math jam and letters sent to
selected students to meet with an advisor or counselor for final determination of math jam
readiness. IR will be reviewing current Accuplacer questions for good indicators before making
changes to the questions.
2. Meeting adjourned
 Next meeting: May 3, 2013
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