Annual Program Review Update
*Be sure to include information from all three campuses.
Program/Discipline: _Astro______________________
Date:
_9/5/07____________________
Trends and Relevant Data
1. Has there been any change in the status of your program or area? (Have you
shifted departments? Have new degrees or certificates been created by your
program? Have you added or deleted courses? Have activities in other programs
impacted your area or program? For example, a new nursing program could
cause greater demand for life-science courses.) If not, skip to #2.
Note: curricular changes should be addressed under 12-14.
I added Astronomy 11 (Solar system astronomy, 3 units) in 2002 and Astro 99
(Seminar: Current events in astronomy, 1 unit) in 2007.
2. Have there been any significant changes in enrollment, retention, success rates, or
student demographics that impact your discipline? If so, please include data
sheets (Excel or Word format) showing these changes.
No. In general enrollment, retention, and success rates for the 14-16 sections of
Astronomy offered yearly have been steady and comparable to other disciplines in
the sciences (e.g. success rates of 70-75%, retention 80-90%). Offering the
Astronomy 10 classes in large class format has allowed this discipline to maintain
strong GE enrollments. There has been a bit of variability in a few isolated cases
due to the semester and time that the class was offered. (e.g. summer night class, or
short term winter session offering)
3. Occupational programs must review the update of their labor-market data, some
of it provided by Institutional Research, to illustrate that their program:
a. Meets a documented labor market demand,
b. Does not represent duplication of other training programs (in the region), and
c. Is of demonstrated effectiveness as measured by the employment and
completion success of its students.
N/A
Other Resources
4. Do you have needs (professional development, library resources, and so forth) not
previously required by the discipline or not previously addressed in budget or
equipment considerations? Please describe.
No
5. Does your discipline need additional support from Student Services beyond that
previously provided?
1
No, support is sufficient.
Human Resource Needs
6. Complete the Faculty Employment Grids below (please list full- and part-time
faculty numbers in separate rows):
Faculty Load Distribution in the Program
Discipline
Name
(e.g., Math,
English,
Accounting)
Total
Teaching
Load for fall
2006 term
% of Total
Teaching
Load by FullTime Faculty
% of Total
Teaching Load
Taught by PartTime Faculty
Changes from
fall 2005
Explanations and
Additional
Information (e.g.,
retirement,
reassignment, etc.)
Astro
29
100%
0%
+3.8 TLU
Minor enrollment
shifts in large
format classes.
Faculty Load Distribution in the Program
Discipline
Name
(e.g., Math,
English,
Accounting)
Total
Teaching
Load for
spring 2007
term
% of Total
Teaching
Load by FullTime Faculty
% of Total
Teaching Load
Taught by PartTime Faculty
Changes from
spring 2006
Explanations and
Additional
Information (e.g.,
retirement,
reassignment, etc.)
Astro
27.6
100%
0%
-1.9 TLU
Small enrollment
shifts in large
format classes.
Do you need more full-time faculty? Associate faculty? If yes, explain why and
be sure to include data sheets justifying the need.
No, staff is sufficient to meet GE demand.
7. Complete the Staff Employment Grid below (please list full- and part-time staff
numbers in separate rows:
Staff Employed in the Program
Assignment
Full-time
Part-time staff
(e.g., Math,
(classified) staff (give number)
English)
(give number)
Gains over
Prior Year
Astro
0
0
1 (reader for
large class)
Losses over
Prior Year (give
reason:
retirement,
reassignment,
health, etc.)
0
Do you need more full-time staff? Part-time staff? If yes, explain why and be sure
to include data sheets justifying the need.
No
8. If necessary, to clarify your needs, please comment on current available staff and
distribution of FTE's for contract and part-time faculty. Describe strengths and
weaknesses of faculty/staff as appropriate to program's current status or future
development.
N/A
Facilities
9. Comment on facilities the program uses, their current adequacy, and any
immediate needs. Have your discipline’s facilities needs changed? If so, how?
Please provide a data-based justification for any request that requires new or
additional facilities construction, renovation, remodeling or repairs.
Astronomy maintains an observatory with two permanent telescopes along with 7
large and 3 small portable telescopes. These instruments are adequate for our uses.
Equipment
10. Have your discipline’s equipment needs changed? If so, how? Is equipment in
need of repair outside of your current budget? Please provide a data-based
justification for any request that requires a new or additional budget allotment.
No, sufficient equipment exists to maintain the discipline.
Learning Outcomes Assessment Update
11. How has your area or program been engaged in student learning outcomes
assessment?
a.
Summarize your results.
Desired student learning outcomes have been identified this past year as part of the
revision of course outlines. No additional assessment has been undertaken beyond
that which already took place in the classroom (e.g. papers, tests, concept tests)
During the lecture component of class, I actively assess student learning using
concept tests, small group exercises, and question and answer. Examinations, along
with a couple of essays, allow students to demonstrate their retention and
comprehension. The student success rates in Astronomy over the past two years
compare favorably to those in other science disciplines and across campus in the
general education classes.
b.
What did your program learn from these results that enabled you to
improve teaching and learning in the discipline?
The use of a variety of concept tests has allowed for clarification of concepts not as
well understood by the students and helped the department make small content and
time allotment changes accordingly.
c.
How have part-time faculty been made aware of the need to assess SLOs?
N/A
Curriculum Update
(Reminder: Send updated course outlines to the Curriculum Committee.)
12. Identify curricular revisions, program innovations, and new initiatives undertaken
in the last year.
Astro 10, 11, 15a revised as per new student learning outcomes and assessment
tasks.
Astro 99 (1 credit seminar) added to the offerings.
13. Identify curricular revisions, program innovations, and new initiatives planned for
the next year.
-I will continue to implement new student learning outcomes assessment such as
designing test questions in consultation with GE science colleagues that specifically
address the broader GE student learning outcomes.
-I plan to make greater use of the online student-connected Blackboard program. I
will use more of the myriad of informational and assessment tools to facilitate
greater student to student and faculty to student interaction.
-I will add new Astro 88 (2 credit seminar class).
14. Complete the grid below
Course
Astro 10
Astro 11
Astro 15A
Astro 99
Year Course Outline
Last Updated
2007
2006
2006
2007
Year Next Update
Expected
2012
2011
2011
2012
Goals and Plans
15. If you have recently undergone a comprehensive review, attach your Quality
Improvement Plan if applicable. N/A
16. If you do not have a QIP, what goals and plans does your area have for the
coming year?
- I will continue to implement new student learning outcomes assessment such as
designing test questions in consultation with GE science colleagues that specifically
address the broader GE student learning outcomes.
-I plan to make greater use of the online student-connected Blackboard program. I
will use more of the myriad of informational and assessment tools to facilitate
greater student to student and faculty to student interaction.