Laney College
Institutional Self-Evaluation Status Report
An Executive Summary of the College’s Efforts
to the Governing Board of the Peralta Community College District
November 18, 2014
THE TEAM
Beginning September 2013, the Laney College Institutional Self Evaluation (ISE) Steering Committee has been led
by its co-chairs Ms. Rebecca Bailey and Mark Rauzon, with support from the vice president of instruction, now
Ms. Lilia Celhay as the accreditation liaison officer (ALO). By October 2013, the teams were assigned to the
standards and their subsections, a total of ten. The majority of the teams has a faculty member and an administrator
serving as standard co-chairs, supported by a writing team comprised of faculty, classified staff and students.
Using a collaboratively constructed plan, each team was charged with gathering data and documents, analyzing
pertinent information, and providing draft responses. Their efforts included interviews with lead faculty, classified
staff and administrators; studying historical documents including previous reports to the commission and agendas
and minutes of participatory (shared) governance meetings; and analyzing institutional data from various sources
including college surveys of employees and students and the district office of institutional research.
REPORT PROGRESS
Over the last several months, the Steering Committee asked the teams to review and integrate content from the
district service centers to update the current drafts. Since October, the teams were also asked to review and
incorporate additional content and feedback coming from the Moodle website where the drafts are maintained.
During the week of November 17, 2014, the draft of the report is being updated to reflect updates and corrections
to errors of facts. In summary, the following actions are occurring:
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Introduction: The researcher is inserting additional required data and formatting tables and charts.
Standard I: Key data is being secured to complete a few sections.
Standard II: Updated versions for Instructional Programs, Student Support Services and Library and
Learning Support Services sections are being reviewed.
Standard III: Teams are integrating content from the district service centers to update the Human Resources,
Physical Resources, Technology Resources and Financial Resources sections.
Standard IV: Pertinent data is being secured to complete particular sections.
Concurrently, the editor has been systematically reading the entire document. By Friday, November 21, 2014, the
editor commences his comprehensive review of the completed draft to provide a one-voice, cohesive version.
The Faculty Senate has planned organized reviews of the draft ISE Report to include:
1. Action item on Nov. 4 Faculty Senate meeting agenda: Each senator signed up for a section of the draft ISE
report to review based on greatest knowledge (or part of a standard);
2. During Nov. 6 through Nov. 13, the senators were assigned to read parts of the first complete draft;
3. At a special meeting on Nov. 13, during college hour (including lunch), the senators discussed their reviews of
the draft report;
4. Senators were grouped by standard they reviewed, and asked to discuss and record strengths, weaknesses and
recommendations (25 min.); group note-taker presented findings to the whole group (20 min.) and notes were
collected; and
5. On Nov. 18 Co-Chair Rebecca Bailey reports on the last changes to the draft (response to recommendations
from 11/13 meeting) and the Senate determines approval.
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Cont. Laney College Institutional Self Evaluation Report, A November 2014 Summary to the Board
EVIDENCE
Evidence has been collected in the designated ISE conference room and is being organized into electronic files.
SUPPORT
Rockman et al was hired to provide research support; Shelia Simon was hired to manage the logistics of organizing
and documenting draft versions, organizing evidence and tracking and sharing with team members the college
community members’ contributions on the Moodle website.
COMMUNICATION
In order to disseminate information to the campus community on the progress of the ISE draft, Laney College has
developed a strategy that includes the following elements:
Presentations at Shared-Governance Meetings
Update reports have been presented at the Faculty Senate, Classified Senate, Department Chairs’ Council,
Administrative Leadership Council, Augmented Administrative Leadership Council, Executive Council,
College Council, and the Associated Students of Laney College.
Forums
To ensure information is shared with a wider campus audience, two forums are planned during fall 2014:
one in November and one in December. Updates will be provided during the January 2015 professional
development days and during a special forum in February 2015.
Moodle
In order to elicit comments from the wide constituency of the college, Laney is utilizing an interactive
Moodle platform to allow faculty, classified staff, and students to review the current drafts of each
standard. Those who wish to provide feedback and input can do so by signing up or participating as
guests, allowing everyone easy access to the documents.
MEETINGS
To ensure that information flows efficiently to and from the district, Laney has organized meetings and also
participates in the district meetings as listed below:
Laney ISE Committee Meetings
The ISE Committee has been meeting twice a month to discuss content and evidence development for the
report as well as to provide updates from the district.
President, ALO and ISE Co-Chair Meetings
President Webb, Vice President Celhay and ISE Co-Chair Bailey have held weekly meetings to discuss
specific topics, including progress, communication, and the planning of next steps.
District Accreditation Steering Committee
Rebecca Bailey, Mark Rauzon and Lilia Celhay (as of July 2014) have attended the Accreditation Steering
Committee Meetings to ensure alignment and coordination of efforts between the college and district.
During the meetings, we’ve shared information and updates from Laney, and have gathered information to
share with Laney’s ISE Committee.
District-wide Standard Meetings
Rebecca Bailey and various ISE team members took advantage of the standard-specific discussions during
the district-wide standard meetings.
A SYNOPSIS OF THE REPORT
The ISE Steering Committee found that Laney College integrates its planning, budgeting and operational efforts to
meet--and in some cases—to exceed the accreditation standards. The College strives for excellence. It takes
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Cont. Laney College Institutional Self Evaluation Report, A November 2014 Summary to the Board
pride in revealing its reaffirmed mission, vision and values statement throughout the college, in all classrooms and
offices. It takes serious its shared governance practices to ensure full engagement of faculty, classified staff,
students and administrators in recommending data informed priorities and decisions to assure the integrity and
comprehensiveness of its program and service offerings. Related, they are equally proactive in advocating for
policies, practices and essential resources to the college president, district chancellor and the governing board.
College stakeholders’ efforts have been consistent during the last six years, even during the most fiscally
challenging times, and it is driven by their high value for quality educational programs and services and student
success as evident in:
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Update of over 1300 courses and programs
Marked increase—over 40%--in student completion of certificates and degrees, and male achievement
increased three times the rate observed among female students
Student success rates increases – foundation “basic” skills and CTE, as well transfer to UCs up by 10%
Accomplishments that are ensuring that the college secures 10+ new transfer degrees by spring 2015
Status as a National Center for the National Science Foundation, and regional hub for construction and
manufacturing education including construction of the first high efficiency house in Oakland
Host of regional/statewide conferences (i.e., ESL Acceleration, Re-shoring Manufacturing, ECOFEST
Sustainability) trainings (i.e., Curriculum Chairs) and national summits i.e., White House Summit on
Educational Excellence, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, and Building Automation Systems,
Restored nearly 40 faculty, classified staff and administrative positions, and over 200 class sections
Grew learning communities, now including APASS, TRiO, and UBAKA
Welcomed over 300 leaders in STEMS, of universities and elected officials from various regions of the world
including the continents of Africa, Asia, Europe and South America
Secured in excess of $10M in alternative sources of funding
Open dialog, Socratic and pragmatic orientation, characterizes Laney College. All stakeholders, employees,
students and members of the greater community—, are welcomed to inform improvements and acknowledge
achievements. They are also encouraged to engage in educational innovations, challenge the status quo, and
otherwise engage in “constructive disruptions” to facilitate marked improvements in student outcomes. This culture
of diverse individuals, perspectives and expertise allow for greater opportunities to strengthen the capacity of the
college and the district. Already, some remarkable accomplishments have been experienced. In short, the college’s
rigorous self-evaluation found the work of the Laney College consistent with the standards of ACCJC.
ACTIONABLE IMPROVEMENT PLANS
The current list of eight actionable improvement plans (AIPs) is the result of intensive review of the draft by
various stakeholders. Also, this list reflects comments provided during the joint Faculty Senate and Department
Chairs’ meeting on Thursday, November 13th in which faculty were divided into groups to review and discuss the
sections of each standard.
Notably, there has been a consensus across the various discussions and feedback provided that actionable
improvement plans (AIPs) were needed in Standard III. For III.A., Human Resources, the AIP reflects the need to
hire key staff to support research and marketing as well as essential faculty and classified staff to allow the college
to serve its students efficiently while also allowing for improved college operations. In III.B., Physical Resources,
the team who worked on this section created a long list, which was distilled into key points, highlighting the need
for the college and district to collaborate to bring about significant improvements in the physical resources, and the
condition of the physical infrastructure of the of the campus. Last, in section III.D., Financial Resources, the full
implementation of the BAM was listed as the main item for action needed to allow Laney to realize its potential
with adequate funding. Currently, sound planning is not supported fully with the funding deemed adequate to
address the plans. Consistently, Board approved funding is delayed and the BAM allocation is not fully applied,
typically leaving nearly two million dollars (annually) in abeyance for future possible consideration – much of
which the college never receives. AIPs were also specified in Standard II as part of the college’s desire to exceed
the standard. Specifically, II.A., Instruction, the college is preparing for a significant increase in the community’s
demands for distance education, as well as the demands of our college professionals’ for a more intelligent set of
analytics via an integrated assessment and curricula system. (See Table 1)
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Table 1. List of the Actionable Improvement Plans by Standard and Evaluation Finding
Standard II
IIA1b
The institution utilizes delivery systems and modes of instruction compatible with the objectives of the curriculum
and appropriate to the current and future needs of its students. Meets this standard.
AIP #1
IIA1c
In anticipation of continued increase in the demand for online offerings, to continue to meet the standard, Laney is
developing a plan to align its operations with best practices in DE – specifically with regard to policy, instructor
certification, professional development and quality assurance.
The institution identifies student learning outcomes for courses, programs, certificates, and degrees; assesses student
achievement of these outcomes; and uses assessment results to make improvements. Meets this standard.
AIP #2
To exceed the standard, establish a detailed plan for conversion to, and move toward full implementation of,
CurricUNET Meta.
Standard III
IIIA2
The institution maintains a sufficient number of qualified faculty with full-time responsibility to the institution. The
institution has a sufficient number of staff and administrators with appropriate preparation and experience to
provide the administrative services necessary to support the institution’s mission and purposes. Partially meets this
standard.
AIP Continue to seek district support to hire an institutional research and planning officer, webmaster and public
#3 information officer, and other essential faculty and classified staff.
IIIB1a
Laney College plans, builds, maintains, and upgrades or replaces its physical resources in a manner that assures
effective utilization and the continuing quality necessary to support its programs and services. Partially meets this
standard.
AIP In consultation with Laney College, including its Facilities Planning Committee (FPC), the District Department of
#4 General Services (DGS) should develop and work toward full implementation of a comprehensive maintenance
program that would include: a plan (and schedule) to address outstanding deferred maintenance; an explicit
preventative maintenance program; and replacement of the antiquated work order system with a web-based
system. It shall include a study to determine the appropriate full engineer and maintenance staffing needs for
Laney College with an analysis of deferred maintenance requirements.
AIP In consultation with Laney College, DGS should prepare and execute an updated, and more comprehensive plan
#5 to address in the short term major infrastructure renovation needs including sewer and drain pipe replacement, air
handling units and related equipment replacement, air balancing and air volume correction and repair, upgrade of
the undersized chiller plant, and electrical and gas systems replacement. DGS should adopt a written policy that
any renovation work on campus buildings and systems should, to the maximum extent possible, address any and
all deferred maintenance items associated with that building or system as part of the contractor’s scope.
The institution assures that physical resources at all locations where it offers courses, programs, and services are
constructed and maintained to assure access, safety, security, and a healthful learning and working environment.
Partially meets this standard.
IIIB1b
AIP
#6
IIIB2a
In close consultation with college leaders, DGS will complete the following: a comprehensive review of campus
security policies and procedures; a review of safety and security systems with a plan for systematically addressing
all recommendations and findings, including development of new policies and procedures for securing security
firms and personnel, replacing stolen equipment and supplies; and carrying out repairs, installations, and
calibrations of all safety-related devices.
Long-range capital plans support institutional improvement goals and reflect projections of the total cost of
ownership of new facilities and equipment. Partially meets this standard.
AIP
#7
Long term capital planning and on-going facilities development practices will be reviewed, revised, and improved
by DGS, collaboratively with the college. Specific matters will be addressed as part of this effort:
a.
b.
c.
d.
IIID1b
A set of procedures for a robust DGS/college stakeholder consultation process;
A viable plan for the full restoration of the institution consistent with the infrastructure needs—the majority
of which have already been identified by the college and district and includes the outstanding long term
deferred maintenance;
Total Cost of Ownership will be a driving parameter for the college in partnership with its district for
planning and operating physical plant and managing all physical resources; and
A renovation policy will be adopted that fully funds the full scope of the renovation work including affected
building systems such as plumbing, drains, air handling systems, electrical, and exterior doors.
Institutional planning reflects realistic assessment of financial resource availability, development of financial
resources, partnerships, and expenditure requirements. Partially meets this standard.
AIP
#8
Adopt and implement a budget planning and allocation process to ensure that Laney College receives 100% of its
BAM allocation annually, the funding specified in the BAM and the funding reflected in the Board approved
budget document.
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