Spring 2009
Program Review and Forecast
Guideline for Getting Started on PrOF
Background and Context: The purpose of program review is to periodically evaluate the changes and
assess various indicators of program effectiveness to creatively plan for the future. Although many of
these plans can be implemented at the program level, many of the plans need institutional support or have
college wide impact. For this reason, the PrOF process also informs the writing of unit plans as well as
planning and resource allocation at the college level.
COSUMNES RIVER COLLEGE
Program (or Service) Overview and Forecast (PrOF)
Instructional Programs
PROGRAM: Los Rios Study Abroad Program
PROGRAM REVIEW LEAD (Dept. Chair, Lead Faculty, Supervisor, Manager, etc):
Ellen Arden-Ogle, Director, Study Abroad (Manager)
Name/Signature
Date
List of Participants/Contributors:
Faculty
Discipline
Rob Knable
Diane RichyWard
Music
Art/Art History* not teaching a
full schedule as she is using
Type C leave
Anthropology
Humanities
Patrice Gibson
Kim Codella*
replaced Martin
Morales
Diane RichieWard
Mark Stewart
Lanny Hertzberg
Patti Redmond
Dan DuBray
Amanda Wolcott
Edward Hashima
Dian Self
Jeannie
Campanelli
Home
college
SCC
ARC
ARC
CRC
Art and Art History
ARC
Psychology
Anthropology
Communication Studies
Communication Studies
Anthropology
History
Anthropology/History
English
ARC
CRC
SCC
CRC
CRC
ARC
ARC
ARC
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Spring 2009
COSUMNES RIVER COLLEGE
Program Overview and Forecast (PrOF)
Instructional Programs
PROGRAM IDENTIFICATION (Roles and Functions)
Program Identification:
Study Abroad is a comprehensive program for students authorized under Los Rios Board Policy P-7151 and
administered under Regulation R-7151 which states, “The District shall provide opportunities for international
education within the community college experience.” To facilitate this opportunity, Los Rios has participated
with the Northern and Central California Community College Foreign Study Consortium each semester since
1985. Currently, Los Rios is a partner in the Northern California Study Abroad Consortium (NCSAC). The Los
Rios program is coordinated through Cosumnes River College, which provides administrative and clerical
support, and authorizes all the fte for the academic classes, but is a district program, and is open to students and
faculty throughout the district.
The program requires twelve units of completed college work (in non-performance classes) with a minimum
GPA of 2.5 in order for students to be accepted into the program. They must enroll and maintain a minimum of
12 units during their semester abroad. Foreign language instruction is offered as part of the program, as well as
required cultural instruction specific to the country of the semester or summer program.
All Los Rios tenured faculty members are invited to apply to teach in the program. The Study Abroad Director
reviews all applications for completeness but takes all qualified applications forward to the NCSAC program
selection and design meeting. The academic deans and directors from NCSAC make the final faculty and class
selection for each program. Tenured faculty from NCSAC travel with the program and teach regular college
credit classes during a 13-week semester (5-6-weeks during summer). Adjunct and non-tenured faculty are
welcome to apply for summer programs. Faculty are paid their regular salary by their home college district and
are further compensated by a housing stipend, plus one round trip airline ticket, and subsidized entrance to all
Life and Culture class activities that are included in the student program fee (e.g., cooking lessons in Italy, play
attendance in London, ballet in France, etc).
Program locations alternate in locations for fall and spring semesters and summer sessions.
Fall semester programs are offered every year in London, England. Every other year, an additional fall
program is also offered in Spain (split between Granada and Madrid) or alternating with Paris, France.
The Spring semester program takes place in Florence, Italy.
Summer programs have been offered in Madrid and Salamanca, Spain; in Costa Rica; Dublin, Ireland;
Beijing and Shanghai, China; Rome and Florence, Italy; and Capetown, South Africa.
NCSAC contracts with the American Institute for Foreign Studies (AIFS), which provides the logistical
support for travel, housing, and classroom space, in addition to on-ground student support offices and student
residential advisors. No NCSAC students are ever left to fend for themselves if a difficulty arises. Students are
responsible for paying their instructional enrollment fees to the colleges and then contract directly with AIFS
for the program services.
The Study Abroad office is located on the CRC campus in the Visual and Performing Arts complex. Through
the Study Abroad program, Los Rios has institutional memberships in California Colleges in International
Education (CCIE), Institute for International Education (IIE) and other study abroad organizational
memberships. The Study Abroad Director (SAD) is responsible for reporting all information on Los Rios to
the IIE and CCIE, and attending NAFSA national conferences to report on program status as professional
development funds allow.
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Spring 2009
The Study Abroad office is responsible for processing all student applications from initial intake through final
processing to receipt of airline tickets. The SAD conducts all orientation meetings, recruits and monitors
faculty, assesses student progress toward acquiring global competence as part of the student learning outcomes,
functions as the certified Gilman Scholarship advisor for all Los Rios applicants, is the NCSAC student
learning outcome coordinator and responsible for monitoring NCSAC Articles of Operation, conducts associate
member orientation for NCSAC, is responsible for keeping abreast of changes in the laws and researching
same, and assessing the effectiveness of the program, as well as acting as the program dean on a rotating basis
for the NCSAC. In addition, because the district supports individual faculty taking students on international
study trips, the SAD has taken on the task of acting a resource person and clearance for faculty members who
don’t know what forms need to be filled out and when. The SAD also meets with Los Rios Risk Management,
the Vice Chancellor of Education and Technology, individual faculty as needed, and the International
Education Committee to report on these, and other, issues.
A LOOK BACK
Describe key accomplishments, program changes or new program initiatives over the past four years.
a.
For the first time, the Study Abroad program has a separate logo to identify the program. The logo is
part of a coordinated marketing and promotion campaign to raise student awareness about the program.
(Access and Growth and Organizational Effectiveness)
b.
A definition of “global competence” was developed that guides the structure and function of the
various parts of the program. (Teaching and Learning Effectiveness)
“Global competence is a continuing process of acquiring specific economic, historical, and geopolitical knowledge which support the intercultural communication skills and authentic lived
experiences that allow a person to function in another culture, and result in attitudes of cultural
appreciation and interdependence.”
c. Student Learning Outcomes were developed for the Study Abroad program, and some may be used by
the Northern California Study Abroad Consortium (NCSAC) of which Los Rios is a partner. (Student
Success and Teaching and Learning Effectiveness)
Los Rios Study Abroad Program Student Learning Outcomes
1. Global Competence
2. Personal Growth
3. Continued Interest in Travel
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Spring 2009
4. Knowledge Acquisition
5. Development of Skills and Experiences
6. Attitude Enhancement and Change
1. As a result of participating in the Study Abroad program, the student will be able to contextually
appreciate, analyze, and articulate global competence.
2. The student will be able to successfully live and thrive in a culture not the student’s own and grow
individually and personally from the experience.
3. The student will incorporate an interest in international travel into the student’s lifelong learning
plan.
4. The student will incorporate specific cultural, geopolitical, economic, and social knowledge into
academic and personal contexts.
5. The student will develop skills to appreciate visual, historical and experiential cultural products of
cultures different from the student’s own.
6. As one consequence of participating in the Study Abroad program, the student will question,
analyze, and potentially change attitudes about the host culture that the student had prior to the
experience, and this attitudinal analysis will result in less ethnocentric behavior.
d.
Program Assessment – this component of the Study Abroad Program has been strengthened and
rewritten to assess student learning outcomes. Because global competence breaks into three distinct
sections: Knowledge; Skills and Experiences; and Attitudes, the assessment questions are open ended
questions tied to those areas and the student learning outcomes. (Student Success, Teaching and
Learning Effectiveness, Organizational Effectiveness)
Study Abroad Program Evaluation
Directions: As the last step in your Study Abroad program, please complete this overall program
evaluation. Student feedback is incorporated into our next set of orientations and helps us improve the
study abroad experience for everyone. Thanks for your help. (If you need more room to answer, please
feel free to use the back of this form as well. You can sign your name or not as you wish.)
1. Where did you live in [city/country of study] (apartment, homestay or dorm facility) and what do
you wish you had known before you came to [city/country of study]? [slo# 1, 2]
2. What were your initial impressions of [city/country of study]? How have those initial impressions
changed? [slo #1, 2, 6]
3. What classes, cultural events, Life and Culture guest lectures contributed to your own
understanding of the political, economic, social, artistic, and historical background of the culture?
[slo # 4, 5]
4. How have your study abroad experiences affected your views about other cultures, and what did
you discover about your attitudes towards other cultures? [slo #4, 5, 6]
5. What in your study abroad experience had the biggest impact on your attitudes about
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Spring 2009
cultural appreciation and interdependence? [slo # 4, 5, 6]
6. Did your study abroad experience encourage you to want to continue to travel and
spend time in other cultures? [slo #3]
7. Would you recommend this program and why or why not? Would you go again? What would you
tell a student considering the [city/country of study] program? (These can be practical tips or more
general observations) [slo# 1, 2, 6]
PROGRAM REVIEW
Section I
A. Briefly list observations from the data and other numerical or descriptive information that
indicate program strengths.
ACCESS and GROWTH
The Study Abroad program relies on students mainly from ARC and CRC. There are minimum
numbers that we must meet in recruitment in order to cover the basic faculty costs of the program. In
the last four years we have gone from barely meeting these numbers (and consequently having to rely
on other members of the NCSAC to over-enroll in order to cover faculty housing stipends, airfare,
etc.), to sometimes being over.
Program
Spring 09 Florence
# LRCCD
students
33
Fall 08 London
Fall 08 Granada
and Madrid
13
11
Spring 08 Paris
Fall 07 London
Spring 07 Florence
Fall 06 London
Fall 06 Granada
and Madrid
Summer 06 China
Spring 06 Paris
Fall 05 London
23
21
20
16
18
11
22
23
Faculty
Discipline
Rob Knable
Diane Richy-Ward
Music
Art/Art History* not teaching a
full schedule as she is using Type
C leave
Anthropology
Humanities
Patrice Gibson
Kim Codella*
replaced Martin
Morales
Diane Richie-Ward
Mark Stewart
Lanny Hertzberg
Patti Redmond
Dan DuBray
Amanda Wolcott
Edward Hashima
Jennifer Richie*
replacement for
Dian Self of ARC
Home
college
SCC
ARC
ARC
CRC
Art and Art History
Psychology
Anthropology
Communication Studies
Communication Studies
ARC
ARC
CRC
SCC
CRC
Anthropology
History
Anthropology/History
CRC
ARC
SCC
Another Access and Growth area is in the new use of the Gilman scholarship program. The Gilman is
part of the Fulbright Scholarship program and associated with the Institute for International Education.
The Study Abroad Director has attended certification sessions and is registered as the Gilman Advisor
for the Los Rios district. Students who are also receiving the Pell Grant, are eligible to apply for the
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Spring 2009
Gilman. In the academic year 08-09, 50% of the students who worked with the Study Abroad Director
on essays and follow-on projects, were awarded scholarships up to $5000. This is a slightly higher
award rate than the four year colleges and universities, which have roughly one third of their applicants
accepted.
STUDENT SUCCESS and TEACHING and LEARNING EFFECTIVENESS
According to Study Abroad program assessments, the required Life and Culture class has great student
support and feedback:
“The program's Culture class (and all of the classes offered) enhanced my learning experience by
integrating us into the everyday life of [city name], be it interviewing locals about their views of the
U.S. election (for my political science …class from…) to the art history lessons at the [museum].”
“The Life and Culture program was excellent and enhanced our experience greatly. I would have been
in the dark so much of the time without that class.”
COMMUNITY, ECONOMIC, and WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
Have begun to work more extensively with the Gilman scholarship program
B. Briefly list observations from the data and other numerical or descriptive information that
indicate program areas that may need a response or change over the next four years with respect
to access and growth.
ACCESS and GROWTH
The dismal economic situation that accelerated in the fall 2008 has had a devastating effect on the
Study Abroad program. Additionally, it is very difficult for students to save enough money for
summer programs (given the higher air fares because of seasonal adjustments in the air fares) without
the availability of financial aid.
STUDENT SUCCESS and TEACHING and LEARNING EFFECTIVENESS
More detailed pre-departure meetings to address questions such as the following:
“What do you wish you had known before you arrived in [country]?
To bring school supplies with you”
More widespread coverage of programs, financial aid, application due dates.
Better integration and set up of the web page.
COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Enhanced financial aid information
C. Based on the previous discussion of strengths and needs, briefly list planning ideas that could be
employed to strengthen your program
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Spring 2009
ACCESS and GROWTH
The greatest need for the Study Abroad program is financial aid for student applicants. While the
Gilman is a good resource, it is limited to Pell Grant students and there are not many other sources of
financial aid other than student loans. The Study Abroad Director has contacted each of the Los Rios
college Foundations to solicit one travel scholarship, which would pay for airfare for one student from
the college in each program, but this request has yet been funded.
The other great need is for a larger more coordinated marketing campaign and strategy to get the word
out about the program. There are numerous local and NCSAC plans, best practices, and innovative
approaches that might be tried to increase attendance at program orientations and recruitment meetings,
but there is a significant lack of time to complete all of these plans.
STUDENT SUCCESS and TEACHING and LEARNING EFFECTIVENESS
Better and more widespread advertising and marketing to increase student awareness and participation
at all four colleges.
 Ads in all college newspapers
 Ads on ITVS between classes
 Mass email to Pell Grant students
 Attend as many on campus fairs as possible
 Make sure faculty pass on the tri fold standing display boards
Work with students on Gilman applications, essays, and follow on projects.
Develop more contacts with NAFSA, CCID, IIE, and other governmental agencies to enlarge base of
strategies, contacts, and opportunities for LRCCD Study Abroad students.
ORGANIZATIONAL EFFECTIVENESS
Coordinated marketing campaign with perhaps regional assistance and collaboration from NCSAC.
Continued work with the Gilman scholarship program.
Provide enhanced financial aid information
COMMUNITY, ECONOMIC and WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
Work with NCSAC partners on coordination of efforts and Articles of Operation normal review.
Marketing to outside sources.
D. If you used numerical or descriptive information that was not provided by the research office,
please list these sources below:
Study Abroad office records, BOT Policies and Regulations, NCSAC records and minutes of
meetings, and interviews/discussions with Study Abroad Faculty, Study Abroad program
assessments, and NCCSAC Articles of Operation
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Spring 2009
E. Program Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs)
Program SLOs
P-SLO 1 As a result of participating in the Study Abroad program, the student will be able
to contextually appreciate, analyze, and articulate global competence.
P-SLO 2 The student will be able to successfully live and thrive in a culture not the
student’s own and grow individually and personally from the experience.
P-SLO 3 The student will incorporate an interest in international travel into the student’s
lifelong learning plan
P-SLO 4 The student will incorporate specific cultural, geopolitical, economic, and social
knowledge into academic and personal contexts.
P-SLO 5 The student will develop skills to appreciate visual, historical and experiential
cultural products of cultures different from the student’s own
P-SLO 6 As one consequence of participating in the Study Abroad program, the student
will question, analyze, and potentially change attitudes about the host culture that the
student had prior to the experience, and this attitudinal analysis will result in less
ethnocentric behavior
___X_ No changes were made this review cycle to the program outcomes as this is the first PrOF
F.
Program SLO Alignment matrix
P-SLO
2:
Persona
l
Growth
P-SLO
3:
Travel
Interes
t
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
P-SLO 1:
Courses or
Activities
Life and Culture class
Residential choice
Academic classes
Pre-departure orientation
Location orientations
Host Country Field trips
Optional travel
opportunities
Departure activities
AIFS student services
Global
competenc
e
P-SLO 4:
Knowledg
e
X
X
X
X
X
X
P-SLO 5:
Skills &
experience
s
P-SLO
6:
Attitude
s
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
___X_ No changes were made this review cycle to the program outcomes as this is the first PrOF
G.
Outcomes Assessment Plan
Review the program student learning or service area outcomes assessments submitted by your
program over the last program review cycle as well as other local outcomes assessment information
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Spring 2009
and respond to the following:
Briefly summarize the program assessments conducted over the past review cycle and what was
learned or changed as a result of these assessments






Students confirmed value of the Life and Culture class in all Study Abroad locations, support and value
of AIFS staff and programs (optional and part of program), value of orientations and program features
(including guided field trips and guest lectures). Called ‘program features’ in assessment grid
Students were unanimous in their preference for the housing situation they had selected; students in
homestays affirmed that this was the best way to become integrated into the host culture, while
apartment living students felt their residential situation allowed them to become more a part of the life
of the host city. Paris students who opted for the dorm situation were more pleased because of the
location and inclusion of a meal plan. Called ‘Residence choice’ in assessment grid
Student assessment confirmed academic rigor of classes offered through the NCSAC model. Called
‘academic rigor’ in assessment grid
Students confirmed value of program by 100% recommendation to other students to go on a program.
Several students indicated interest in going on another NCSAC program. Called ‘student
recommendation’ in assessment grid
Levels of global competence were demonstrated by varying degrees in responses to assessment
questions. Called ‘response matching’ in assessment grid
Student grades in academic subjects are indicative of knowledge, skills and experiences being acquired
by students at an appropriate level. Called ‘grades’ in assessment grid
Can you relate these Assessments to the PSLOs for us?
P-SLO 1:
P-SLO 2:
P-SLO 3:
Personal
Travel
Global
Growth
Interest
competence
‘program
X
X
X
features’
‘Residence
X
choice’
‘academic rigor’
X
X
‘student
X
X
recommendation’
‘response
X
X
X
matching’
‘grades’
X
P-SLO 4:
Knowledge
X
X
P-SLO 5:
Skills &
experiences
P-SLO 6:
Attitudes
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
What program outcomes have NOT been assessed over the last review cycle? NA
Status of Planned Changes: NA
Briefly discuss your assessment plan for the next four years (what you will assess, when you will
assess the outcomes, and how you might assess the outcomes).

Continue with assessment measures as currently used and explore the possibility of creating one
assessment measure for all of NCSAC so a body of assessment measures can be used for continuous
improvement. Do you have a planned date for this? Spring 10
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Spring 2009

Explore the possibility of collecting student journals for on-going qualitative assessment in an
interpretive social science case study methodology. Do you have a planned date for this? Still in
discussion stage as to value and doability of this as the task would fall to me. May try to shoot
for Spring 10 to Florence program
PROGRAM FORECAST
I.
Local, short-term program planning : Review the planning ideas you previously identified in
Section C of the four planning areas (Growth/Access; Student Success & Teaching/Learning
Effectiveness; Program Organizational Effectiveness; and Community, Economic and Workforce
Development). Please identify the ideas you plan to implement in the next four years below:
Planning Agenda Item # 1.
Activity: Better and more widespread advertising and marketing to increase student awareness
and participation at all four colleges.
 Ads in all college newspapers
 Ads on ITVS between classes
 Mass email to Pell Grant students
 Attend as many on campus fairs as possible
 Make sure faculty pass on the tri fold standing display boards
Rationale: to enhance participation in the program, particularly for students from lower
socioeconomic levels (is this valid?) Yes although the Gilman (#2) really targets the Pell
Grant students
Timeline: Fall, 2009 (modify as needed) Yes
Planning Agenda Item #2.
Activity: Work with students on Gilman applications, essays, and follow on projects.
Rationale: decreased cost for program participants, therefore enhanced participation and
improved access. (is this valid?) Yes it is valid although I probably would have phrased it
as increased funding support through Gilman grants to decrease costs and increase
participation of Pell Grant students
Timeline: Spring, 2010 (Modify as needed) OK
Planning Agenda Item #3.
Develop more contacts with NAFSA, CCID, IIE, and other governmental agencies to enlarge
base of strategies, contacts, and opportunities for LRCCD Study Abroad students.
Rationale: Enhanced program quality Yes
Timeline: Fall, 2009 (NAFSA) Yes
Spring, 2010 (CCID) Yes
Fall, 2010 (IIE) Yes
II.
Long Term or Broader planning agendas: Please identify any long term planning agenda items for
your program or identify any unit/college-wide planning agenda items based on your PrOF.
Work with CTE faculty to develop short term programs of particular application to specific CTE
programs so those students have the ability to also participate in study abroad.
Seek partnership arrangements with organizations that might contribute financially to study abroad
scholarships.
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Spring 2009
Work with interested faculty and third party vendor to develop non-traditional study sites.
III.
In the previous section, you identified planning agenda items you hope to implement in to improve your
program. In this section, you will list the curriculum changes and resource requirements needed to
implement those planning agenda items. This information will be used in college planning.
A)
Summarize the changes in curriculum needed to implement your planning agenda items. The curriculum
table will be used to update the college’s educational master plan. Not applicable to Study Abroad.
B)
Please complete a resource requirements table for each planning agenda item listed in section I above
and indicate the approximate cost. The resource requirements tables from the programs in your unit will
be used to produce the unit plan. Copy and paste as needed to complete a chart for each Planning
Agenda Item!
Resource Requirements
Planning Agenda
Item #1
Supplies
Computers/computer
related equipment
Non-Computer
related Equipment
New classified staff
New student help
Facilities
Item or Description
Advertising and
Marketing campaign
Posters, brochures,
postcards
Approximate
Cost
~$3000
Study Abroad dedicated
laptop to take to
presentations, orientations
and recruitment meetings
Display boards, travel cases
for pre-departure and
meetings
Access to the Graphic
Designer for assistance in
professional layout and
design
One student help at each
college
~$1500
Priority (A – urgent, B –
high, C – important)
A using current budget
(budget money for Study
Abroad comes from DO)
C need to write and
submit COB/ITMB item in
the next round of funding
~$500
B using current budget
~??
B using college resources
~6 hours a
week x 4
colleges x
student wage
B Some student hours
could be funded from the
current budget but more
allocation would be needed
from colleges/district or
work study students could
be used.
C
Ability to use district
facilities for more central
meeting places
Advertising in each of the
college papers
Other (research,
~$1000
A using current budget
release time,
professional
development, grants)
.Will you be using existing resources also to do this? If so, please list.
Planning Agenda
Item #2
Item or Description
Gilman Program
Approximate
Cost
11
Priority (A – urgent, B –
high, C – important)
Spring 2009
Supplies
Duplicating forms,
scholarship materials,
printed copies of exemplary
submissions
~$800
A using current budget
Facilities
Other (research,
Attend Gilman selection
~$500
B funding from Gilman
release time,
meetings in May and
professional
November
development, grants)
.Will you be using existing resources also to do this? If so, please list.
Item or Description
Approximate
Cost
Organizational
membership and
participation
Other (research,
Attendance at NAFSA,
~$3000
release time,
CCIE, CCID, IIE and other
professional
study abroad conferences
development, grants) and potential partner
agencies (time and support
are also critical here)
.Will you be using existing resources also to do this? If so, please list.
Planning Agenda
Item #3
12
Priority (A – urgent, B –
high, C – important)
A using combination of
current budget and
Professional Development
funds (not all organizations
meet every year)