Program Planning and Assessment (PPA)
for Academic Programs
Comprehensive Review, Annual Review & Action Plan
Spring 2014
The purpose of Program Planning and Assessment at Hartnell College is to obtain an honest and
authentic view of a program and to assess its strengths, opportunities, needs, and connection to the
mission and goals of the college. The process is based on the premise that each academic program
reviews assessment data and uses these data to plan for improvement. The results of these annual
cycles provide data for a periodic (every five years) comprehensive review that shows evidence of
improvement and outlines long-range goals.
The Program Planning and Assessment process will improve and increase the flow of information
about student learning, student success and student behavior at Hartnell College. The result of the
process will also improve institutional effectiveness.
Program/
Discipline
Date Completed (must be
in final form by 3/31/14)*
5/15/2014
Date Submitted
to Dean
N/A
Sociology
*Please note that you should work with your colleagues and dean to ensure that this report is
completed, revised as needed, in its final form and submitted no later than the end of March.
List of Contributors, including Title/Position
Stephanie Low, Dean of Academic Affairs
Marisol White, Sociology part-time faculty
Eric Strayer, Sociology part-time faculty
Dr. Hortencia Jimenez, Sociology part-time faculty
This PPA report is organized in 3 sections and 11 subsections as follows:
I.
II.
III.
Comprehensive Review – a. Overall Program Effectiveness, b. Instructional Staffing,
c. CTE Programs – Labor Market & Achievement, and d. Program Goals.
Annual Review – a. Course Data & Trends, b. Teaching Modality, c. Curriculum,
d. Outcomes, and e. Previously Scheduled Activities.
Annual Action Plan – a. New Activities and b. Resource Requests.
INSTRUCTIONS
 For programs/disciplines scheduled for comprehensive review in spring
2014, please complete Sections I, II, and III.
 For programs/disciplines scheduled for annual review, please complete
Sections II and III.
I.
COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW
Please complete this section for programs/disciplines scheduled for
comprehensive review in spring 2014. Go to Section II for programs/disciplines
scheduled for annual review in spring 2014.
A. OVERALL PROGRAM EFFECTIVENESS
1. Describe your program in terms of its overall effectiveness over the past several
years.
Please consider the questions below in describing your program/discipline/area.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
How are students/employees served by the program?
What are the unique aspects of the program?
How does the program relate to the needs of the community?
How does the program interface/collaborate with other programs on campus?)
What is working well in the program/discipline?
If there is a sequence of courses in your program, what process or framework is used to
ensure alignment?
How is consistency maintained between/among multiple sections of a single course?
Has the program explored alternative scheduling approaches?
Do prerequisites, co-requisites and strongly recommended skills continue to meet program
needs? Are there special considerations regarding capabilities of incoming students?
What professional activities have faculty recently (last three years) participated in?
[Begin response here]
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B. INSTRUCTIONAL STAFFING
1. In the table below enter the number of sections offered and the number of full
time and adjunct faculty in your program/discipline by term over the past several
years.
Term
No. of
Active
Sections
Full-time
Faculty
Adjunct
Faculty
2. What staffing factors/challenges have influenced the effectiveness of the program?
[Begin response here]
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C. CTE PROGRAMS – LABOR MARKET & ACHIEVEMENT
Please complete this section if the program is Career Technical Education
(CTE). Go to subsection D if the program is not CTE.
1. Describe the demonstrated effectiveness on the program over the past several
years with levels and trends of achievement data, including degree/certificate
completions (awards) and employment statistics.
[Begin response here]
2. Describe the number of, activities of, and recommendations resulting from
advisory committee meetings that have occurred over the past two years. What
information and/or data were presented that required or currently require
changes to be made to your program?
(Please attach copies of meeting minutes over the past two years and a list of committee
members and their respective industries/areas.)
[Begin response here]
3. Does labor market data and/or the need for additional education indicate that
changes should be made to your program? Does the program (continue to)
meet a labor market demand and/or fulfill an important step toward
higher/additional education?
[Begin response here]
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D. PROGRAM GOALS
1. List and describe program/disciplinary goals for the next comprehensive
review cycle—Fall 2014 through Fall 2018. Be sure to highlight innovative,
unique, or other especially noteworthy aspects.
A new mission and vision is currently before the board for approval in February. In considering
your program’s future goals, please review the proposed new mission and vision statements.
VISION STATEMENT
Hartnell College will be nationally recognized for the success of our students by
developing leaders who will contribute to the social, cultural, and economic vitality of
our region and the global community.
MISSION STATEMENT
Focusing on the needs of the Salinas Valley, Hartnell College provides educational
opportunities for students to reach academic goals in an environment committed to
student learning, achievement and success.
[List and describe program goals here]
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
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II. ANNUAL REVIEW
This section must be completed for ALL academic programs, including those
scheduled for a comprehensive review in spring 2014.
A. COURSE DATA & TRENDS
1. Please evaluate the 3-year trend of enrollment and success of courses in your
program/discipline. Identify the courses you are choosing to examine this
current year in the list below. You do NOT need to evaluate trends for each
course every year.
Course
Number
Course Name
Does the course have any DE
(online or hybrid) sections?
Please use the data that have been provided. Analyze trends that you observe with respect to
the data for the identified courses and answer the following questions.
ENROLLMENT
2. Review the enrollment data. Describe and analyze any patterns or anomalies
that you notice. What do you make of these patterns or anomalies? What
actions should be taken to ensure continuous improvement?
Enrollment trends over the three-year period reflect a high enrollment rate for sociology
courses. Courses are offered in face-to-face, hybrid and distance education formats. These
courses tend to fill quickly; of eight sections offered in Fall 2013, five were waitlisted. In Spring
2014, four of seven sections were waitlisted.
SUCCESS
3. Review the success data. Describe and analyze any patterns or anomalies that
you notice. What do you make of these patterns or anomalies? What actions
should be taken to ensure continuous improvement?
A somewhat troubling trend is noted with success rates for SOC-1, Introduction to Sociology.
Over the three-year period, success rates for this course have steadily fallen from 62% to 57%
and success rates are consistently below the college average. It is anticipated that the review of
student learning outcomes for this course in Fall 2013 and Spring 2014 might provide insight
into this trend and offer potential solutions. This analysis will be facilitated by the hire of a
full-time faculty member to coordinate the analysis of outcomes for sociology courses.
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DEGREES AND CERTIFICATES
4. Describe the demonstrated effectiveness of the program over the past several
years with levels and trends of achievement data, such as degree and certificate
completions/awards.
Because the degree was available for the first time in Fall 2013, no degrees have yet been
awarded.
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B. TEACHING MODALITY
1. Enter the number of Distance Education Courses, both fully online and hybrid
sections, along with the number of full-time and adjunct faculty.
Term
Fall 2013
Spring 2014
No. of DE/
Online
Sections
3
3
No of
Hybrid
Sections
0
0
Fulltime
Faculty
0
0
Adjunct
Faculty
1.4
1.4
2. Compare student success in the DE teaching environment with success in the faceto-face teaching environment in the same course. Are there differences? To what
do you ascribe the differences in your program? Discuss any other relevant factors
regarding diverse teaching modalities and environments, such as specific
locations.
Student success data are not yet available for Fall 2013.
3. Describe the process to change and improve student success in DE
courses/sections in your program, and any other relevant factors regarding
diverse teaching modalities and environments, such as specific locations.
Not applicable
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C. CURRICULUM
Complete the following tables pertaining to courses scheduled for review.
Courses scheduled for
review during AY 201314 as previously
specified
Faculty member(s)
responsible for
coordinating
None
Courses scheduled for
review during AY 201415
None
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Faculty member(s)
responsible for
coordinating
(a) Was the course
reviewed and (b) taken
through the curriculum
process?
Date of approval (or
anticipated approval)
by Curriculum
Committee
Target semester and
year—Fa 2014 or Sp 2015
D. OUTCOMES
Use your Program Outcome Maps to assist you in this subsection. As you plan your course
assessments, keep the higher level program outcome in mind. While course level assessment
serves the purpose of examining the teaching and learning for that particular course, it also
provides the data that will be viewed collectively for assessment of the associated program
level outcomes.
PROGRAM LEVEL OUTCOMES
1. Please complete the following tables.
List Program level outcome(s)
scheduled for assessment as
previously specified
Demonstrate a working knowledge
of the core concepts of sociology
including: social structure; culture,
social stratification and inequality;
race, ethnicity, and gender; and
globalization.
What changes have occurred
in the program/discipline as
a result of dialogue?
Hartnell College has
identified the need for fulltime faculty in sociology, and
the position is currently
being recruited.
List Program level outcome(s)
scheduled for assessment in
AY 14-15
Have your course level
SLOs needed for this
program level outcome
been assessed or
scheduled for assessment?
Yes
Demonstrate a working knowledge
of the core concepts of sociology
including: social structure; culture,
social stratification and inequality;
race, ethnicity, and gender; and
globalization.
Was the Program
Outcome Assessment
Summary completed?
No.
2. Describe how program level outcomes were specifically addressed by the
program/discipline during the past year.
For example, were data gathered at the course level? Was there review and analysis of the
data? How did the discipline faculty engage in discussion? Were any interventions conducted?
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Are there any plans to make changes to certificate/degree programs or improvements in
teaching and student learning?
Data was gathered in each course that was taught in Fall 2015 through exams and final term
papers that were assigned during the Semester. All members of the part time Sociology faculty
gathered together many times during the Semester to review, evaluate and analyze the data and
findings that was collected. As a group, it was decided that implementing different effective
assessment measuring tools and methodology for collecting data and assessing for the Spring
term 2014 would be assessed and taught through lectures, participating firsthand in activities
throughout the community, projects and group discussions, students will then have the tools to
successfully complete the course to apply Sociology and its theories and methodology to every
day experiences.
CORE COMPETENCIES
3. Describe how Core Competencies were specifically addressed by the
program/discipline during the past year. For example, were data gathered at
the course level? Was there review and analysis of the data? How did the
discipline faculty engage in discussion? Were any interventions conducted? Are
there any plans to make changes to courses or improvements in teaching and
student learning?
Not applicable.
COURSE LEVEL STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
4. Please complete the following tables.
List courses scheduled for
SLO assessment as previously
specified
SOC-1
SOC-5
SOC-42
In what term was
the course
assessed?
Fall 2013
Fall 2013
Fall 2013
List courses scheduled for
SLO assessment in
AY 2014-15
SOC-1
Faculty member(s)
responsible for
coordinating
Eric Strayer,
Hortencia Jimenez
& Marisol White
Eric Strayer &
Marisol White
Marisol White
Eric Strayer
SOC-5
SOC-41
SOC-42
Was the Course
Assessment Summary
Report completed?
Yes
Yes
Yes
Target semester
and year—Fa 2014
or Sp 2015
Fall 2014
Fall 2014
Fall 2014
Fall 2014
5. Describe course level assessments results and how they will influence your
plans moving forward.
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What we found for all our Sociology courses (1,5, 41, 42) is that when students were asked to
examine theory they would apply theoretical concepts focusing only on the definition of the
textbook and not integrating theory in their own words.
6. Describe assessment activities that need to be strengthened or improved. What
are the challenges to achieving these improvements?
Through a variety of activities (projects, discussions, presentations, research papers, quizzes,
and exams) students will be able to think critically, evaluate, and assess information and events
utilizing the theoretical perspectives. Therefore, students will be able to look beyond the
textbook definition and apply different theoretical perspectives for themselves.
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E. PREVIOUSLY SCHEDULED ACTIVITIES
This subsection focuses on activities that were previously scheduled. An activity can address many
different aspects of your program/discipline, and ultimately is undertaken to improve or enhance your
program/discipline, and keep it current.
Activity scheduled
What success has
been achieved to
date on this activity?
1. Hire a full-time
faculty to teach
Sociology and to
manage the outcomes
assessment for the
new degree program
Recruitment is in
progress.
2. Discuss with parttime faculty retention
and success data, and
plan assessment
3.
In progress
Will activity
What challenges
existed or continue continue into
AY 14-15?
to exist?
Will activity
continue into
AY 15-16?*
It’s difficult for the
Dean to meet
regularly with
part-time faculty.
Yes
Yes
* For each activity that will continue into AY 2015-16 and that requires resources, submit a separate
resource request in Section III.
1. Evaluate the success of each activity scheduled, including activities completed and
those in progress. What measurable outcomes were achieved? Did the activities
and subsequent dialogue lead to significant change in student learning or program
success?
Recruitment for the full-time faculty member in sociology is in progress. Part-time faculty
have met together to discuss course level outcomes assessment data gathered from Fall 2013,
and are planning to assess course and program level outcomes in Spring 2014.
Please refer to responses in part II.D.5 and II.D.6.
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III. ANNUAL ACTION PLAN
This section must be completed for ALL academic programs, whether scheduled
for annual or comprehensive review in spring 2014.
A. NEW ACTIVITIES
This subsection addresses new activities for, and continuing new activities into, AY 2015-16. An
activity can address many different aspects of your program/discipline, and ultimately is undertaken to
improve, enhance, and or keep your program/discipline area current. A new activity may or may not
require additional resources. Activities can include but are not limited to:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
NEW CURRICULUM
FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF THE PROGRAM OR SERVICE
GRANT DEVELOPMENT AND PROPOSALS
FACULTY AND STAFF TRAINING
MARKETING/OUTREACH
ENROLLMENT MANAGEMENT
STUDENT SERVICES
ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES
SUPPORT OPERATIONS
FACILITIES
1. List information concerning new projects or activities planned. Please keep in mind that
resources needed, if funded, would not be approved until spring 2015 and provided until
FY 2015-16. Ongoing activities involving resources that will no longer be available from
grant funds starting FY 2015-16 must be planned for appropriately.
Activity
1. Discuss with
part-time faculty
retention and
success data, and
plan assessment
activities in 20142015.
2.
Strategic
Plan
Goal(s)
No. &
Letter
(e.g.,
5A)*
1A,2A,
2B, 3A,
3B
Related
Courses,
SLOs, PLOs,
or goals
Desired
Outcome(s)
Resources
Needed
Person
Responsible
PLO 1
Assessment
data for one
program
outcome and
four course
outcomes
Compensati
on for parttime faculty
to meet
with fulltime faculty
at least
once each
semester.
To be
determined
SOC-1
SOC-5
SOC-41
SOC-42
3.
* See Appendix A for a list of the 11 goals in the college’s Strategic Plan.
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Estimated
Date of
Completion
(can be more
than one
year in
length)
Ongoing
Comments
*** Please complete this page for each new activity. ***
2. This item is used to describe how the new activity, or continuing new activity, will
support the program/discipline.
Consider:
• Faculty
• Other staffing
• Facilities
• Equipment (non-expendable, greater than $5,000), supplies (expendable, valued at less than
$5,000),
• Software
• Hardware
• Outside services
• Training
• Travel
• Library materials
• Science laboratory materials
a) Describe the new activity or follow-on activity that this resource will support.
Discuss with part-time faculty retention and success data, and plan assessment activities in 20142015.
b) Describe how this activity supports any of the following:
1) Core Competency
2) Program level Outcome
3) Course level Outcome
4) Program/Discipline Goal
5) Strategic Priority Goal
Program level and course level outcomes will be assessed and discussed with part-time faculty.
c) Does this activity span multiple academic years?
YES
NO
If yes, describe the action plan for completion of this activity.
Yes, it is expected that continuous broad-based discussion about student success in sociology will
result in many completions of the Associate in Arts in Sociology for Transfer (AA-T).
d) What measureable outcomes are expected from this activity? List indicators of
success.
The number of students awarded the AA-T in Sociology will increase.
e) What are the barriers to achieving success in this activity?
The new full-time faculty member will require support of part-time faculty and the District as he
or she proceeds through the tenure review process.
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B. RESOURCE REQUESTS
If new/additional resources are needed for your program/discipline, it is important that you identify
them and project their cost, and that these resources and costs be considered through the College’s
integrated planning (governance, budget development, funding decision making, and resource
allocation) processes. A resource is likely to be something needed to support an activity that you have
identified in IIIA. above, in which case you must link the resource with a specific activity number (first
column below). ). All resource requests completed in the various columns of a specific row
must be linked to the new or continuing activity numbered on the first column of that
same row. A resource could also be something necessary for your program/discipline to function
properly to improve student learning, such as updated equipment in a classroom; in such case be sure
to note that the resource is NOT tied to a specific activity.
Activity
No.
1. Meet
with
parttime
faculty
Personnel
Classified
Staff/
Faculty
(C/F/M)*
Supplies/
Equipment
(S/E)**
2.
Technology
Hardware/
Software
(H/S)***
Contract
Services
Training
Travel
Library
Materials
Science
Labs
Yes,
compensation
for part-time
faculty to
attend at
least one
meeting per
semester.
3.
4.
5.
* Personnel: Include a C, F, or M after the amount to indicate Classified Staff, Faculty, or Manager.
** S for Supplies, E for Equipment. If additional supplies, for example, are needed for ongoing activities, this
should be requested through the budget rollover process.
*** H for Hardware, S for Software.
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Projected
Costs
$500
APPENDIX A. Strategic Priorities & Goals
(from Hartnell College Strategic Plan 2013-2018)
Priority 1: Student
Access
Goal 1A: Hartnell College will provide higher education, workforce development, and lifelong
learning opportunities—with seamless pathways—to all of the college’s present and prospective
constituent individuals and groups.
Priority 2: Student
Success
Goal 2A: Hartnell College will provide a supportive, innovative, and collaborative learning
environment to help students pursue and achieve educational success.
Goal 2B: Hartnell College will provide a supportive, innovative, and collaborative learning
environment that addresses and meets the diverse learning needs of students.
Priority 3: Employee
Diversity and Development
Goal 3A: Hartnell College is committed to 1) increasing diversity among its employees; 2)
providing an environment that is safe for and inviting to diverse persons, groups, and
communities; and 3) becoming a model institution of higher education whose respect for
diversity is easily seen and is fully integrated throughout its policies, practices, facilities, signage,
curricula, and other reflections of life at the college.
Goal 3B: To attract and retain highly qualified employees, Hartnell College is committed to
providing and supporting relevant, substantial professional development opportunities.
Priority 4:
Effective Utilization of Resources
Goal 4A: To support its mission, Hartnell College is committed to the effective utilization of
its human resources.
Goal 4B: Hartnell College is committed to having its physical plant, furnishings, and grounds
maintained and replaced in a planned and scheduled way to support learning, safety, security,
and access.
Goal 4C: Hartnell College will maintain a current, user-friendly technological infrastructure
that serves the needs of students and employees.
Goal 4D: Hartnell College is committed to maximizing the use and value of capital assets,
managing financial resources, minimizing costs, and engaging in fiscally sound planning for
future maintenance, space, and technology needs.
Priority 5:
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Innovation and Relevance for Programs and Services
Goal 5A: Hartnell College will provide programs and services that are relevant to the realworld needs of its diverse student population, while also developing and employing a culture of
innovation that will lead to improved institutional effectiveness and student learning.
Priority 6: Partnership
with Industry, Business Agencies and Education
Goal 6A: Hartnell College is committed to strengthening and furthering its current
partnerships, in order to secure lasting, mutually beneficial relationships between the college
and the community that the college serves.
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