Instructional Division Offices
Program Planning Assessment Report
Spring 2012
SECTION ONE
PURPOSE AND OVERVIEW
The Instructional Divisions at Cabrillo College strongly encourage and support the college mission.
Accomplished by facilitation, oversight, guidance and support of instructional programs, each
Instructional Division takes the lead on realizing Cabrillo College's overarching goals of creating and
maintaining “a dynamic, diverse and responsive educational community dedicated to helping all students
achieve their academic, career, and personal development goals.” (Cabrillo College Mission Statement)
Our purpose is to provide a strong administrative and staff support system in order to manage processes
successfully inside and between Instructional Divisions. In this way, we can continue to provide an
accessible and effective learning environment that aids students in their pursuit of transfer, career
preparation, job advancement, retraining goals, and life-long learning.
INSTRUCTIONAL DIVISION OFFICE PROGRAM REVIEW
Core Values: Our core values are to foster academic freedom, critical and independent thinking, and
respect for all people and cultures. Our commitment is to encourage excellence, offer a balanced
curriculum, promote teaching methods for diverse learning styles, involve and enrich our community,
and assist faculty and staff in the achievement of our goals.
ADMINISTRATIVE UNIT OUTCOMES: GOALS AND MEASUREMENT
The Instructional Division Offices Have One Broad Administrative Unit Outcome: Students and faculty
will be provided with information, problem solving tools, structure and resources in order to facilitate
the instructional process and improve student success.
Long-Term Objective:
To better meet the needs of both faculty and students while taking into account the reduction of staffing
levels across the college, the Instructional Division Office Staff (Deans, DCs, IDAs, and DASs) will
collaborate with Human Resources, the Business Office, Admissions and Records, and Counseling—as
well as other areas of Student Services—to evaluate and, if necessary, re-design processes and
procedures with the goals of:
(a) providing students a higher level of self-sufficiency and autonomy;
(b) assisting faculty and staff to achieve a higher level of compliance with established protocols and
greater adherence to established deadlines.
To help improve the effectiveness of the Instructional Division Offices, measurable, specific goals were
developed to evaluate the Administrative Unit Outcome. The following chart outlines the ongoing,
continuous assessment process for Instructional Division Offices based on the purpose and core values
of the Instructional Division Offices as outlined above.
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Service/Activity
Goal to Achieve Outcome
Outcome Measurement
and AUO
Each Instructional Division
Students and faculty
will be provided with
Office will be equipped with a
information, problem
self-help station and will explore
solving tools, structure development of a mobile phone
and resources in order to app using Blackboard.
facilitate the instructional
process and improve
student success.
With reference to required
paperwork and deadlines, assist
faculty to become more selfefficacious
• Development of FAQs & a map with a
“you are here” red dot, indicating the
student’s current location
• Data gathered from TLC director & Dir. of
Marketing/Communications re: viability and
cost to launch such an app
• Development and distribution of a division
(and college) deadline list for each semester
with a more detailed version for program
chairs.
Develop online solution for
• Standard forms posted electronically and
processing adjunct availability
made easily accessible to faculty.
statements, flex activities
agreements, absence forms, and
other administrative functions
towards getting regular student
evaluations online (as is currently
done for online classes)
INSTRUCTIONAL DIVISION OFFICE PROGRAM ASSESSMENT PROCESSES
The Instructional Division Offices utilize a variety of assessment tools to measure the Administrative
Unit Outcome outlined in the previous section. The college community completed a survey specifically
about the Division Offices in 2010, and will do so again in 2013.
COMMONALITIES:
At Cabrillo College, there are five Instructional Divisions and each one has a Division office. Each
division office is comprised of a Dean, two Instructional Division Assistants, a Division Coordinator and
a Division Accounting Specialist. Faculty and students are served by the five Instructional Division
offices and Division office staff interact with college wide support services as well as student services.
Beginning July 1, 2012 each Instructional Division Office will only have one Instructional Division
Assistant. One shared Instructional Division Assistant will work on projects common to all division
offices.
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The five Instructional Division offices serve as the operational hub of instruction. The major functions
include:
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Support for faculty, students, and administration
Instructional Planning
Curriculum
o Includes Catalog maintenance and development
Scheduling
o Includes Schedule of Classes
Budget
Contract Compliance
Hiring
o Adjunct hiring is done and managed 100% within the Instructional Division offices
o Contract faculty hiring is done in coordination with Human Resources
o Classified Staff hiring is done in coordination with Human Resources
o Student hiring is done in coordination with the student employment office
Facility Scheduling & Coordination of Maintenance (with Plant Operations)
Evaluation
o Contract and adjunct faculty
o Classified staff
Instructional Planning is done by faculty and led by Program Chairs. The Deans serve as a mentor to
department faculty and they also serve on the Council on Instructional Planning where the plans are
reviewed and approved. The Instructional Division Assistants (IDAs) may help faculty with computer
support (example – helping with Excel spreadsheets) and the Division Accounting Specialist (DAS) may
offer support in providing cost projections.
Though faculty maintain and periodically review existing curriculum and also develop, propose and
present new curriculum, Division Deans review all curriculum and work with faculty to assure
compliance with Title 5 and other regulations.
While the Division Dean is ultimately responsible for all aspects of his/her division and the people and
programs in that division, staff support of faculty and students is an essential function of the five
division offices. While Division Coordinators assist faculty with scheduling and Division Accounting
Specialists support and assist faculty with matters pertaining to budget, the two Instructional Division
Assistants support faculty and students with all other matters.
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INSTRUCTIONAL DIVISION ASSISTANT (IDA)
The IDA position is the most visible staff position in each Instructional Division Office and is the first
point of contact, acting as the college’s de facto “welcome center” for visitors to the college as well as for
our students, faculty, staff, and anyone else who walks through the door. In addition to this important
function, the IDA’s major tasks include:
•Assist students and faculty and other walk-in traffic
•Process absence reports and substitute time cards
•Support adjunct hiring process
•Update/manage Ad Astra for room usage
•Help process availability statements
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•Copier maintenance
•Order/maintain supplies
•Generate basic Datatel reports
•Evaluate clerical support
•FASs record keeping and binders
•Maintaining/processing/inventorying of forms
•IIPP coordination and tracking
•Processing key requests
•Reserving library texts
•Mail distribution
•Providing new faculty orientation information
•Ensuring office hours are established/posted
•Assisting with pre-req checks
•Circulating deadline reminders
•Processing roster and grade changes
•Auditing SALSA (web page) information
•Creating/updating telephone lists, distribution lists, email lists
•Processing textbook orders
•Assisting Division Dean (as per IDA job description)
•Running XFTE reports (sometimes done by DAS)
•Maintaining Division Calendars
•Initiating IT and M&O work orders
•Auditing flex agreements
•Processing volunteer paperwork
NOTE: Beginning July 1, 2012, with one Instructional Division Assistant per office, faculty will not
enjoy the same level of support.
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DIVISION COORDINATOR (DC)
The Division Coordinator position has changed since it was created during the reorganization that took
place in 2002. While they continue to attend curriculum meetings and ensure that only approved
courses are scheduled, they do not have as large a role in curriculum as they once did now that
Curricunet has been fully implemented and used almost exclusively by faculty. Deans work with faculty
and Division Coordinators to ensure Catalog quality and accuracy of course and program information.
Scheduling is a large part of the work of the Instructional Division offices. Division Coordinators do
schedule input in Datatel and assist Deans and Program Chairs in building schedules a year in advance.
Deans are primarily responsible for the budget (teaching units) but also work with faculty to make sure
the course schedule has the correct balance of courses and sections for each program. They also ensure
the faculty contract is followed regarding adjunct assignments. Deans also work with faculty and
Program Chairs on efficiency of FTES per teaching unit. IDAs and DASs provide support in scheduling
in various ways. Along with these important functions, the DC’s major tasks include:
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Coordinates and performs responsible work related to the preparation, data entry, proofing,
auditing, editing and maintenance of class schedules and schedule changes for division faculty
assignments
Based on schedule design information provided by Division Dean and faculty chair, supports
schedule production, e.g. coordinates room assignments, communicates status with faculty and
maintains faculty availability status
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Oversees all production aspects and proofs Division schedule of classes, schedule change forms,
faculty assignment sheets and teaching units
Proofs and monitors adjunct and overload contracts for accuracy
Informs Division faculty of curricular problems identified through the scheduling process
Monitors Division scheduling history
Audits final galleys of the class catalog and other publications to ensure inclusion of newly
approved curriculum
Designs and maintains web pages
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DIVISION ACCOUNTING SPECIALIST (DAS)
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Accurate budget planning and management at the division level is critically important for the
instructional programs. The Dean is ultimately responsible for the budget and all financial transactions,
but the work of the Dean in budget matters is greatly enhanced by the support and assistance of the
Division Accounting Specialist. The DAS establishes and monitors division budget deadlines based on
information from the Business Office and monitors all division budgets, working closely with the
Business Office. In addition, the DAS prepares financial reports, tracks conference funds, prepares and
processes purchase requisitions, prepares budget proposals and reports for grants when applicable and
maintains close communication with the Business and Purchasing Offices. The DAS’s major duties—in
addition to those already listed--include:
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Provides accounting, budgetary and financial records on income and expenses
Prepares and provides cost analysis, reports, and projections
Prepares a variety of end of month, year-end and other periodic financial statements and reports
Compiles and adjusts financial data as needed, recommends resolution of aged accounts
Performs journal entries, posts to subsidiary ledger
Creates and maintains a variety of databases, spreadsheets and documents for tracking of
financial data
Coordinates instructional equipment purchases
Researches and compares vendor costs
Researches information, compiles data and prepares a wide variety of statistical and budget
reports related to Division activities
Performs cash flow analysis, budget analysis and projection
In short, the DAS works with Program Chairs, faculty, and especially the Dean on all aspects of the
division budget and on all division accounts, including the adjunct budget using the Cabrillo College
teaching unit system.
Contract compliance is another very important role of the Dean. The Dean is responsible for the
management and implementation of all aspects of both the CCFT and the CCEU contracts.
The Dean is responsible for hiring of all contract and adjunct faculty as well as all classified staff. This
includes reviewing and approving job description and committee composition and chairing or serving as
a member of all hiring committees. The adjunct hiring process has become the sole responsibility of the
division offices.
Finally, the evaluation of all adjunct and contract faculty and classified staff in accordance with the
CCFT and CCEU contracts is the responsibility of the Division Dean. IDAs provide logistical support
to track and schedule evaluations at the direction of the Dean.
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COMPREHENSIVE COLLEGE CORE COMPETENCIES
The Instructional Division Offices are key elements of support in achieving the comprehensive college
core competencies. Upon completion of Cabrillo College’s General Education program, or when
receiving an AA or AS degree, a student will demonstrate competency in each of the following areas:
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Communication (reading, writing, speaking and listening)
Critical Thinking and Information Competency (analyze, compute, research, and solve
problems)
Global Awareness (scientific processes, global systems and civics, artistic variety)
Personal Responsibility and Professional Development (self-awareness, social and physical
wellness, workplace skills)
The following programs, references, services and groups serve to help realize the college mission.
Further, they directly support the Core 4 comprehensive college competencies, as illustrated in the
following table:
Program/Service
Activities in Support of College Metrics/Evidence
Mission, Core 4, SLO Assessment,
and Accreditation Standards
Learning Communities Course/Curriculum Development & Success rates
Faculty Development
Retention rates
Grievance Process
Contract Administration
% of grievances resolved informally at the
Division level
Conflict Resolution
Catalog Development & Program Development
Accuracy
Accurate program information to
Chancellor's office
Title V compliance
Curriculum guidelines
Coordination of the
Instructional Division
Core 4
Self-study standards 2A and 2B
Accreditation standards 2A and 2B Instructional Plans and annual updates
Class Schedule
Day-to-day support of
the instructional
programs
Core 4
Self-study standards 2A and 2B
Accreditation standards 2A and 2B Instructional Plans and annual updates
Class Schedule
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Curriculum
Course/Curriculum development
Transfer and Occupational
education
Basic Skills and Student Support
Non-credit and Self-supporting
programs
Distance Education
Course/Curriculum Development
Online degrees
Degrees/certificates
% of students who receive degree
Degrees/certificates created and modified to
meet student demand
Courses created, modified, approved by
Curriculum Committee
New population enrollment
Non-traditional enrollment
Number of online students annually
Adjunct hiring
Recruitment/Retention of faculty
Number of adjuncts hired annually
able to successfully impart the Core
4
Contract hiring
--Faculty
--Staff
Recruitment/Retention of faculty
Number of faculty and staff hired annually
able to successfully impart the Core
4
Faculty & staff
evaluations
Recruitment/Retention of faculty
Number of evaluations mandated as per
able to successfully impart the Core contractual agreements
4
Equivalency
Determination
Recruitment/Retention of faculty
Frequency of process initiation
able to successfully impart the Core # of equivalencies approved
4
Instructional
Planning/Program
Planning Processes
Program Reviews
Instructional plans and completed annual
Institutionalization of the Student update forms
Learning Outcomes and Assessment
Cycle
Council on Instructional
Planning
Course/Curriculum development
Student Learning
Outcomes and
Assist/Mentor/Suggest revisions
Assessment of SLOs
Coordination with
library for oversight of
Math Learning Center,
Writing Center, Reading
Lab, and Tutoring
Schedule of Classes
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Supports college mission: Enhance Surveys
the intellectual, cultural, and
Library SLO Assessment
economic vitality of our diverse
Library 10 success and retention
community by assisting all students
in their quest for lifelong learning
and success
Accreditation standard 2C
Transfer and Occupational
Schedule of Classes in print and online
Education
Number of sections
Basic Skills and Student Support Section enrollments
Non-credit and self-supporting Student retention
programs
Student success
Faculty Development
Staff Development
--flex
--conferences
Sabbatical Leaves /
Sabbatical Leave Review
Board
Number of fall and spring flex activities
Instructor evaluations
Number of attendees at fall and spring flex
activities
Number of approved leaves
Sabbatical leave reports
SECTION TWO:
ANALYSIS OF SURVEY RESULTS
The five Instructional Division offices engage in ongoing assessment, both qualitative and quantitative,
of the effectiveness and efficiency of the activities and processes they perform daily to make instruction
possible. Without the operations and services provided by the division offices, students would not have
access to the high quality instruction and content-rich courses necessary to meet the core four student
learning outcomes. While each division office has its own unique culture created by the personalities
within it, they share a common function. Namely, they provide the structure and support necessary for
faculty to teach their classes.
During Fall 2010, each Instructional Division conducted a survey of their customers. These surveys
were made available electronically to all college faculty and staff as well as to students and community
members who contacted the offices during the survey period. What follows is an analysis of the
combined results. As expected, the majority of the responses (61%) came from faculty, 24% came from
classified or confidential staff, and the remainder came from administrators, students, and community
members.
The most common mode of contact for those who interact frequently with the Instructional Division
office is in-person (79%). Contact rates of about once or twice per month are fairly evenly split among
the following modes of interaction: email, phone, and, in-person.
Nearly everyone (90%) felt the hours of operation, normally 7:30am-6:00pm, are adequate. In fact, only
2% of those who responded would like additional hours. The remaining 8% had no opinion.
Unfortunately, recent staffing reductions will reduce the number of hours the Instructional Division
Offices can be open. This will decrease the support available for the evening faculty and students as
well as result in office closure during the noon hour.
Commendations:
The Instructional Division office classified staff rated very high in every category. Combined responses
of “Strongly Agree” or “Agree” total 90% or higher in the following:
• Provide good customer service
• Provide timely assistance
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Provide accurate information
Are accessible
Are courteous
Are responsive to requests
When the “Disagree” and “Strongly Disagree” responses are combined, all categories total between 2%
to 6% of respondents, with most totaling 4%. This is outstanding considering the total survey responses
numbered 300. While there is always room for improvement, the customer service provided by all five
division offices is phenomenal. The obvious conclusion is that the division office support structure as it
currently exists is exceptionally effective. Satisfaction levels may decrease given the recent reductions
in Instructional Division Office staffing.
The section regarding perception of the division dean’s performance indicated that respondents believe
that their dean:
• Is a strong advocate for academic quality
• Seeks ways to improve student academic success
• Promotes academic excellence
• Provides effective leadership
• Is responsive when problems surface
Each of the above areas, combined for all five deans, garnered 73% to 80% of the “Strongly Agree” and
“Agree” responses. Those who “Disagree” or “Strongly Disagree” with the above total—from 10% to
16%--with the remaining having “No Opinion.”
Challenges:
There were several areas in the combined data for the Division deans where satisfaction is good, but not
as good as it perhaps could be. Predictably, these areas involved the distribution of division resources,
including teaching units and monetary resources. In a time of budget reductions and severe course
reductions, this is predictable. However, while the positive responses ranged from 59% to 63%, those
who disapproved totaled only 6% to 15%. Given the limited knowledge of many of the respondents of
how the State of California funds California Community Colleges, the frustration with how teaching
units and other fiscal resources are distributed is understandable. There is room for improvement,
particularly in communication, and there is perhaps an opportunity here to involve more of the faculty
and staff, beyond the program chairs, in the decision making process regarding reductions in funding
and units.
Observations in Comments:
Several comments spoke to the strong teamwork, service-oriented attitude, professionalism, and
dedication of the office staff, including the deans. Others mentioned the fact that division staff provides
a wealth of information both in assisting faculty and in informing students of what is available within
the division. They also know when to direct inquiries elsewhere, and where to find resources.
The most common concern that surfaced in the comments was for the drop in service and effectiveness
that occurs, or is anticipated, when staff is lost and positions are allowed to remain vacant. Another
issue mentioned is the frustration caused when phones are put on automatic answer. There is concern
that reductions in staffing that will take effect on July 1, 2012, will exacerbate this area of concern.
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A challenge for the deans is the need to be more accessible and also participate in the many meetings
required of the position. Deans are often spread too thin which causes delays in response time.
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SECTION THREE:
RECOMMENDATIONS/ACTION ITEMS/COSTS
Based on our experience and the survey feedback, the following recommendations are suggested:
1. Review Instructional Division Office Roles and Responsibilities
(No Direct Cost)
Deans will work with division office staff to solicit input to clarify staff roles and responsibilities.
When the IDA reduction plan is implemented, we will need to determine how to implement reduced
IDA staffing as well as how to implement the centralized IDA position.
Instructional Division office open hours will be reviewed. With one IDA, open hours will need to be
reduced. Offices will need to be closed for lunch. When the IDA takes contract and vacation days,
division office hours will be impacted.
2. Restore adequate staffing
($66,000/position x 4 = $264,000)
Surveys rated the quality and availability of customer service in the division offices highly. We can
conclude that the Instructional Division office support structure as it existed F10 (survey date) was
effective. We would like to restore adequate staffing when the budget improves in order to provide the
same high level of customer support in the division offices.
The most common concern that surfaced in the survey comments was for drop in service and
effectiveness when staff is lost and positions are allowed to remain vacant. An example of the overall
problem mentioned in the surveys is the frustration caused when phones are put on automatic answer,
which is likely to be more prevalent with a staffing reduction.
3. Explore technological solutions to efficiently cope with reduced staffing & staff time by increasing
ability to receive inquiries and information via web forms & documents.
(No Direct Cost)
With reduced staffing in the Instructional Division Office and the many responsibilities demanded of the
Division Dean, it would be worthwhile to explore the possibility of systematizing through automated
processes some of the time-consuming duties covered by the Division Office, instituting paperless
processing and tracking, especially of forms requiring multiple approvals, to include:
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Forms
*
IIPP coordination and tracking
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Key requests
*
Deadline reminders
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Roster and Grade changes
4. Explore ways to involve more of the faculty and staff in the decision-making process. As a result,
faculty and staff will gain a better understanding of the complex state regulations that guide program and
budgetary decisions. (No Direct Cost)
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As noted in the "Challenges" section, this is an area of potential improvement.
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