ATMCC
Truak- Melldowe Community Coll•111•
TMCC PROGRAM UNIT REVIEW-ANNUAL PROGRESS REPORT 2014-15
Program/Unit Reviewed: Paralegal I Law
Self-Study Chair: Henry Sotelo
Division: Liberal Arts
Dean: Armida Fruzzetti
Year of Last PUR: 2012-2013
Year of next PUR: 2019-2020
Program/Unit Mission Statement: The mission of the Paralegal/law Program at Truckee Meadows
Community College (TMCC) is to train students for careers as paralegals, to provide continuing
enrichment for professionals in the field, and to meet the legal educational needs of those in related
professions. The Paralegal/law Program, paralleling the mission of the college, provides access for
lifelong learning to improve the quality of life for our diverse community through its law classes and its
continuing legal education workshops. The program endeavors to support students and to provide
additional assistance for its students, some of whom are non-native speakers. By maintaining constant
contact with students, paralegals and lawyers, the program "anticipates and responds to educational
needs of individuals to achieve their goals, aspirations, and dreams."
The Description of the Degree(s)/Emphasis(s)/Certificate(s) for your PUR area are listed below. Please review for
accuracy.
Description of Degree/Emphasis/Certificates:
AAS Paralegal/Law Degree: Paralegals assist attorneys in a variety of settings such as private legal
practices, the public legal system and corporate legal departments. TMCC's paralegal/law associate of
applied science program is the only American Bar Association CABA) approved program in Nevada.
Credits earned in the Paralegal/law Degree Program are transferable to a pre-law emphasis in four year
institutions.
SECTION I
The Outcomes and Measures listed below were retrieved from Degree/Emphasis or Certificate submissions provided by
your area to CAP and approved. Please review the outcomes to ensure accuracy or submit changes to CAP via the
Degree, Emphasis, Certificate (DEC) Revisions form located on the CAP Resources web page. Ifyour area is scheduled
for a PUR in the nearfuture, please plan on reporting assessment efforts around these learning outcomes when you
participate in your PUR.
AAS Paralegal/Law Degree Goals/Outcomes:
•
Exhibit knowledge of the following areas of the law: torts, civil procedure, ethics, and real
property.
• Demonstrate the ability to do basic legal research and basic legal writing.
•
Acquire the knowledge and skills to obtain entry-level employment as a paralegal.
APR I REV: 5/2014
ATMCC
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TMCC PROGRAM UNIT REVIEW -ANNUAL PROGRESS REPORT 2014-15
SECTION II
The following recommendations and strategies were identified in your most recent Program/Unit Review.
Please respond to the strategies by including the status, actions taken to respond to the strategy, projected
timeline, and ifresources are anticipated to fulfill the strategy.
Unit Strategy #1
Complete course assessments as needed.
Status: choose
Ongoing
Complete
Other
Timeline:
Date range
Action: Recap ofaccomplishments and work to do (type over this text)
All course assessments have been completed as required and on-time.
Anticipated Resources Needed: Be specific about dollar amounts equipment, space size, staffing, etc.
Unit Strategy #2
Status: choose
Timeline:
Develop stronger tracking system for students and graduates to include Ongoing
Date range
employment, employer satisfaction, and graduate suiveys.
Complete
Other
Action: Recap ofaccomplishments and work to do (type over this text)
Previously, Nancy Roe, Job Placement Specialist, had been assigned to contact and track program graduates
record mandated information from graduates and forward that information to the program coordinator in order
to maintain accurate and up to date information. However, Ms. Roe's other duties eclipsed this duty and thus
the Program Coordinator now attempts to survey all graduates within a 6 month period ofgraduation to track
employment and continuing education. This information is reported every 3 years in an Interim Report.
Still to be done: Update the exit survey tool.
Anticipated Resources Needed: Someone to take the place of Nancy Roe to contact, track and report on
program qraduates in a timely manner.
Status: choose
Unit Strategy # 3
Per recommendations from the ABA, develop an articulation agreement Ongoing
with Nevada State College or Great Basin College for students to pursue Complete
Other
the BAS degree if desired.
Action: Recap of accomplishments and work to do (type over this text)
Timeline:
Date range
This is ongoing in coordination with Michelle Noel, Transfer and Articulation Specialist. We have also
attempted to work on a transfer agreement with John F. Kennedy University, and actually had at least two
conference call meetings with their administration. However, at present, they have been non-responsive.
Contact with Utah Valley University has resulted in them communicating that they are willing to evaluate
transferring courses on a case-by-case basis, but are unwilling to consider a transfer agreement.
Finally, we are still in ongoing discussions with Nevada State College about the course requirements they
need to see in order to reach a solid articulation agreement.
Still need to do: Actually get another institution to commit to honor our student's hard work and allow
complete or near complete transfer of all credits earned.
AF R I REV: 5/2014
ATMCC
Truell•• MeeeloW• Cammunlty CQll•lll•
TMCC PROGRAM UNIT REVIEW-ANNUAL PROGRESS REPORT 2014-15
Anticipated Resources Needed: Be specific about dollar amounts equipment,
Unit Strategy #4
Data should be studied carefully to ascertain patterns for students who
do not receive degrees and strategies developed to support more
students in graduating. Not attending fulltime, financial obstacles, or
difficulty with particular courses should be considered. In addition to
the work already begun, these strategies could include cohorts,
scholarships and paid internships.
Action:
space size, staffing, etc.
Status: choose
Ongoing
Complete
Other
Timeline:
Date range
The program has created two traditional classes into afully online format: Contract and Torts. This facilitates
course and program completion. The next class to be converted to a fully online format will be Real Property Law
which will be offered in Fall 2016. Furthermore, the coordinator is planning on eliminating Case Analysis from
the program offerings as it is a redundant non-transferable course. This will effectively lower the AAS degree
from 66 credits required to 63. This aids in student completion and graduation.
The Program Coordinator, serving as the program's academic advisor continues to inqu ire and refer students
to the necessary support when student's run into obstacles that impact t heir ability to fully commit to the
program and their academic work.
Still need to do: Convert Real Estate Law into online format. Eliminate Case Analysis. Take changes thru
CAP committee.
Anticipated Resources Needed: Be specific about dollar amounts eauipment, space size, staffin~ , etc.
Unit Strategy #s
Status: choose
Timeline:
Within constrained resources and w ith the assistance of the Advisory
Ongoing
Date range
Committee, design and implement programs to recruit more men and
Complete
minorit ies into the proqram
Other
Action: Recap of accomplishments and work to do (type over this text)
The Program coordinator has participated in Student Success Fairs in order to identify and recruit male
students into the program.
The coordinator has discussed with Dean Fruzzetti and Dept Chair Reid the benefits of purchasing the mail
list from the Washoe County Bar Association and sending out a mailing of some type to notify the Legal Bar
the type of course offerings prior to each semester.
Anticipated Resources Needed:
Purchase attorney mail listings; design/create a postcard type mailer;
postage.
APR I REV: 5/2014
ATMCC
'n'ucll•• M••dow• Community Collee•
TMCC PROGRAM UNIT REVIEW -ANNUAL PROGRESS REPORT 2014-15
SECTION Ill
(OPTIONAL - Fill out only if adding new Unit Strategies)
Please include any newly identified strategies for the Program/Unit. Please respond to the strategies by
including the status, actions taken to respond to the strategy, projected timeline, and if resources are
needed to fulfill the strategy. Ifthere are no new strategies, please leave this blank and no signatures are
required.
Unit Strategies: New
Status: choose
Ongoing Complete
Other
Timeline: Date range
Action: Recap of accomplishments work to do
Anticipated Resource Needed: What are they and what are the approximate costs?
Unit Strategies: New
Status: choose
Ongoing Complete
Other
Action: Recap ofaccomplishments work to do
Anticipated Resource Needed: What are they and what are the aDoroxlmate costs?
Unit Strategies: New
Status: choose
Ongoing Complete
Other
Action: Recap of accomplishments work to do
Timeline: Date range
Timeline: Date range
Anticipated Resource Needed: What are they and what are the aooroxlmate costs?
Approvals (Signatures an
APP I REV; 5/ 2014