143
AGENDA ITEM BACKGROUND
TO: GOVERNING BOARD
FROM: PRESIDENT
SUBJECT :
Learning Communities Update
REASON FOR BOARD CONSIDERATION
INFORMATION
ITEM NUMBER
D.4
DATE:
April 2, 2012
ENCLOSURE(S)
Page 1 of 2
BACKGROUND
Cabrillo College has a tradition of learning communities dating back several years, and cohort learning (students enrolled in classes together who support each other as they move through an educational program of study) has resulted in increased student success and retention. In the past number of years, the number of learning community options for students at the Cabrillo has expanded due to grants and various student success initiatives. A focus on research will facilitate the evaluation of which options to continue, and in which capacities, once grant funding has expired.
Broad institutional support
All areas of the College are involved in offering learning communities to students. In addition to the departments and division staff directly involved with the programs, key staff from the Office of
Instruction work with Information Technology staff and Business Services; Counseling, Assessment and other offices in Student Services; Marketing; and the Planning and Research Office. The
Cabrillo College Foundation is involved in several scholarship initiatives for the different learning communities. The entire college community contributes to the learning communities’ success: the outreach and enrollment process; the tracking of the various initiatives in their pilot phases; and the processes to inform prospective students of the various options open to them. A new Learning
Communities Center opened in fall 2011, co-locating various learning communities across campus, to help inform interested students about the multiple options available. In addition to college personnel, the Center is staffed by student interns who have participated in one of the learning communities. Interns also provide information at Guided Enrollment sessions available immediately after students have completed their assessment.
Overview of program options
There is a broad range of learning community options for students, from Basic Skills to Honors and
STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) fields. Following are two tables showing the requirements, benefits and primary goal of the different programs. The first table shows learning community cohort programs where students take two or more classes together, which is the more traditional pattern for learning communities. Most of the programs in this first group focus on increasing the success rate of students at the basic skills level. The second chart includes the Honors
Administrator Initiating Item:
Rachel Mayo, Dean Education Centers
Renée Kilmer, Vice President, Instruction
Academic and Professional
Matter
 Yes  No
If yes, Faculty Senate Agreement  Yes  No
Final Disposition
Senate President Signature

144 program and different learning community support programs for students studying in the STEM fields. Students in these programs may only be taking one course together, although they continue to build their cohort through additional services provided outside of class to achieve the program goals of increased success rates in transfer. The new Transfer Pathways program, beginning fall 2012, is included below as well.
AMAP
Table 1: Learning Communities of students enrolled in TWO OR MORE courses together:
Program
ACE (Academy for
College Excellence)
REAL
(Accelerated
Medical Assistant
Program)
Puente Project
(Reading &
English Academic
Learning)
EOPS Summer
Migrant Program
(SMP)
STARS (Students
Transitioning in
Academics &
Reaching Success)
Requirements, Benefits, Goal

Assess at Reading 205 or higher

Theme-based curriculum; opportunity for acceleration from English 255 to 1A

Prepare in one semester to be successful in college-level classes

Enroll full time in Medical Assistant program; make successful progress each semester

Timely completion of program with the skills employers require

Finish Medical Assisting certificate and externship in two years

Take English 100 in fall and English 1AMC in spring; plan to transfer to 4-year university

Designated counselor, professional mentor, university tours

Increase transfer rate of underrepresented students

Assess at English 255 AND Reading 255

Coordinated assignments between classes; in-class meetings with academic counselor

Improve and strengthen reading and writing skills

Qualify for services from Migrant Education as high school junior or senior.

Improve English composition and reading skills in a computer lab setting

Increase college attendance for migrant farmworker youth

Fewer than 12 units completed; assess at 200 / 100 level in English AND math

First Year Experience with career exploration; extra support in math

Increase success of first year students taking pre-transfer level classes
Transfer Pathways
(History or
Anthropology)

Eligible for English 1A and Math 12; recommendation of high school counselor

Guaranteed seats for two years in classes necessary for AA degree and transfer

Transfer to 4-year university in two years
Table 2: Learning Communities of students enrolled in ONE OR MORE courses together:
Program
ACCESS ( Advancing
Community College
Education for Science)
Honors
MESA (Math,
Engineering and
Science Achievement)
STEM (Science,
Technology,
Engineering & Math)
Supernova
Requirements, Benefits, Goal

Enroll in biology and/or chemistry classes

Support and activities outside of class, summer and winter programs at UCSC

Assist historically underrepresented students transfer to university in biology and chemistry; special focus on biomedical research

Assess at transfer level in English; minimum GPA, apply to Honors Transfer program

More challenging courses; Honors Scholar designation on transcript

Competitive edge at transfer and priority admission into the most-competitive UC’s

Eligible for math 152 or above, transfer in science major with calculus class
 Support and activities outside of class, scholarships & internships,
 Increased success and transfer rates in mathematics, engineering and science majors

Educational plan for a STEM major (Science, Technology, Math or Engineering)
 Support and activities outside of class, internships, Summer Bridge; field trips

Increased transfer rate in STEM fields for underrepresented students
 GPA over 3.0, financial need, transfer to UCSC in physics or astrophysics
 $5,000 last year of Cabrillo and $10,000 per year for 2 years at UCSC

Increase transfer to UCSC of underrepresented students in physics or astrophysics
2