Master of Education in Educational Leadership:
Community College/Higher Education
Brief History of the M.Ed. in Educational Leadership: Community College/Higher Education
(CC/HE)
Prior to 2002, the EDL Department offered a Master of Education Degree in Educational
Leadership with an emphasis in Community College/Higher Education (CC/HE). This program
offered preparation for students who planned to enter the community college as faculty
members or in leadership roles. At that time, the degree was unique in that only a handful of
programs across the U.S. offered coursework specializing in curriculum, theory, and practice at
the community college level. At that time, the department also partnered with the Maricopa
Community College (MCC) District to offer the M.Ed. onsite; this partnership has existed for 11
years. MCC was requesting at least one doctoral cohort to serve the needs of the community
college system.
Since the last program review in 2002, the
department’s CC/HE program has grown
significantly. The M.Ed. in Educational
Leadership with a CC/HE emphasis is still offered
and growing in student enrollment and
graduates. All community college courses have
been developed for online delivery, with face-toface course still offered at NAU sites around the
state. The two full-time faculty members (up
until last year, there was one) mentor and work
with part-time instructors who teach courses in
the program. The degree is currently offered
totally online with student advising primarily
accessible through NAU’s Extended Campuses.
Program Description:
The Department of Educational Leadership offers
a Master’s degree (M.Ed.) with an emphasis in
Community Colleges/Higher Education
Leadership. This emphasis builds on interests in
teaching and student affairs so individuals can
assume leadership roles in community colleges
or other institutions of higher education.
Students in this emphasis generally have, or
anticipate having, a leadership position at a
community college or other institution of higher
Program Learning Outcomes:
1. Students will demonstrate the ability
to engage and apply appropriate
research methods.
2. Students will engage in ethical,
professional behavior.
3. Students will demonstrate the
knowledge and ability to work with
cultural and diverse populations.
4. Students will demonstrate
knowledge in core areas of
community college/higher education
leadership.
5. Students will demonstrate the ability
to apply best practices in higher
education leadership.
6. Students/graduates will be well
prepared to function in leadership
settings relevant to their training and
experiences within non-profit and
for-profit institutions, online and
virtual campuses, sponsored
campuses and programs, and private
institutions.
M.Ed. in Educational Leadership-Community College/Higher Education
Page 1
learning. The emphasis in community college/higher education requires 36 hours of
coursework, as follows:
 12 hours of required foundations courses
 12 hours of required leadership skills development courses
 12 hours of required community college/higher education specialization courses; may
include a thesis option reflecting 3 credit hours of work.
These hours are distributed as follows:
FOUNDATIONS: (12 semester hours)
EDR 610 Introduction to Research
EDF 630 or EDL 622 Foundations of Ed. Law or Legal Aspects of School Administration
CC 580 The Community College
CC 680 Higher Education in the United States
LEADERSHIP SKILL DEVELOPMENT: (12 semester hours)
EDL 600 Leadership Skills
EDL 630 Leadership Development
EDL 660 Action Learning Modules
EDL 680 Master’s Seminar (culminating experience)
SPECIALIZATION ELECTIVES: (Select 12 semester hours from the following electives)
CC 590 Education Technology in the College Classroom
CC 599 Contemporary Developments
CC 620 Programs for Access and Opportunity in Higher Education
CC 640 Curriculum Construction
CC 670 Adult Learners
CC 688 College Teaching
CC 699 Thesis
CC 696 Internship
Background Information:
Enrollment:
The M.Ed. in Educational Leadership: CC/HE experienced a rapid increase in enrollment during
the 2004-06 academic years. In part, the enrollment increased as the program was scaled up
from initial approval to a more broadly recognized program of study within the department.
During the 2004-06 period, the difference between the duplicated and unduplicated counts can
be explained by students changing program of study from another M.Ed. in Educational
Leadership and by students entering the degree program at mid-year (duplicated counts
represent an annual enrollment figure while the unduplicated count references enrollment
during the fall term of each academic year). From 2007-13, the enrollment in this master’s
M.Ed. in Educational Leadership-Community College/Higher Education
Page 2
degree program reached a point of relative stability, maintaining a high enrollment over the
past six years. The robust enrollment numbers for the program during this time span can in
part be attributed to the population served by this degree program. Higher education has
generally not felt the same reductions in budgets that have characterized K-12 settings over the
past decade, leading to greater job security and willingness to commit to an advanced degree.
With the focus on advanced knowledge and skills in higher education, many of the degree
candidates are seeking the degree credential as a means to pursue progressively higher
positions within their community college setting.
Total Students Enrolled
Enrollment Trend: M.Ed. in Educational
Leadership: CC/HE
200
180
160
140
120
100
80
60
40
20
0
FY 04
FY 05
FY 06
FY 07
FY 08
FY 09
FY 10
FY 11
FY 12
Unduplicated
2
2
2
141
147
157
149
173
173
Duplicated
3
46
123
190
183
173
165
164
*Duplicated counts were obtained from PAIR data on programs. Unduplicated counts were obtained by using PAIR data for the fall term of each
academic year. Unduplicated count was not available for FY 12.
Graduation Rates
M.Ed. in Educational Leadership: CC/HE Degrees Awarded by Location (PAIR data, duplicated
count)
Degree Awarded
Community
Campuses
Flagstaff
Online
Yuma
TOTAL
FY 04
FY 05
FY 06
FY 07
FY 08
FY 09
FY 10
FY 11
FY 12
0
1
21
60
68
65
52
58
59
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
2
5
0
0
2
0
0
5
1
0
10
0
0
2
5
1
3
4
1
0
1
23
65
70
71
62
66
67
M.Ed. in Educational Leadership-Community College/Higher Education
Page 3
Program Diversity
NOTE: Data in the following tables include students fully admitted to the program and those
candidates in “preparation” status (accepted, but awaiting full admission). Generally, the
proportion of students in preparation status is small in any given academic term.
The candidate pool for this program is predominantly female (>60%), but represents diverse
class of individuals. While the majority of candidates continue to identify themselves as white
(>50%), the program has attracted a more diverse candidate group. In the most recent
academic year, twenty-three percent of the enrolled candidates were from Hispanic/Latino(a)
background, seven percent Black/African American, and 9% from American Indian background.
While the percentage of candidates from Hispanic/Latino(a) background is slightly below the
state average (30%), the percentages of candidates from Black/African American and Native
American backgrounds was higher than the state averages on the most recent census (4.5% and
5.2% respectively).
Number of Enrolled Candidates by Gender (PAIR data, unduplicated count. Fall term of each
academic year was used for comparative purposes)
Gender
Female
FY 04
1
Fall 05
1
FY 06
2
FY 07
82
FY 08
99
FY 09
105
FY 10
93
FY 11
112
FY 12
109
(50%)
(50%)
(100%)
(58%)
(67%)
(67%)
(62%)
(65%)
(63%)
1
1
0
59
48
52
56
61
64
(50%)
(50%)
(42%)
(33%)
(33%)
(38%)
(35%)
(37%)
2
2
Male
TOTAL
2
141
147
157
149
173
173
Number of Enrolled Candidates by Ethnicity (PAIR data, unduplicated count. Fall term of each
academic year was used for comparative purposes)
Ethnicity
FY 04
African
American
Asian American
FY 05
FY 06
FY 08
FY 09
FY 10
FY 11
FY 12
1
1
12
16
14
11
9
12
(50%)
(50%)
(9%)
(11%)
(9%)
8%)
(5%)
(7%)
Hispanic
American
Indian/Alaskan
Native
White
FY 07
4
4
4
7
5
2
(3%)
(3%)
(3%)
(5%)
(3%)
(1%)
30
32
32
31
47
40
(21%)
(21%)
(20%)
(21%)
(28%)
(23%)
2
6
5
8
14
15
1%)
(4%)
(3%)
(5%)
(8%)
(9%)
2
1
1
86
85
98
84
89
93
(100%)
(50%)
(50%)
(61%)
(58%)
(62%)
(57%)
(51%)
(54%)
Two or More
Other/Not
Specified
International
2
4
5
(1%)
(2%)
(3%)
7
4
4
5
5
6
(5%)
(3%)
(3%)
(3%)
(3%)
4%)
1
(>1)%
TOTAL
2
2
2
141
147
157
M.Ed. in Educational Leadership-Community College/Higher Education
149
173
173
Page 4
Relationship of the M.Ed. in Educational Leadership: CC/HE program to NAU’s mission and
strategic goals?
The CC/HE program is committed to supporting NAU’s mission of offering solid graduate-level
education through sophisticated methods of distance delivery. The program has been a leader
in offering a graduate degree to students not residing on campus and has often been ahead of
the curve in terms of getting course work and degrees available through various technologies
available at NAU. The program is also committed to NAU’s goals 1 and 2 by offering learnercentered education that is accessible and relevant to students across the state and beyond.
Quality of the program
Since there are currently only two full-time faculty members whose expertise lies in CC/HE, the
CC/HE program relies on faculty across the EDL department and part-time instructors across the
state to offer much of the coursework for this degree. The full-time faculty members work very
closely with part-time instructors to ensure courses are taught using standard syllabi and that
they hold students accountable to consistently high expectations.
The two full-time CC/HE faculty members hold doctorates in higher education leadership from
major research universities with strong programs in higher education administration. In the last
five years, the two faculty members regularly published articles in areas related to CC/HE. Their
research has focused on such topics as women in higher education administration, students’
success in higher education, succession planning in higher education, mentoring and diversity in
higher education, and distance learning advising, curriculum, and program delivery.
Faculty Qualifications
Name
Yrs
Teaching
K-12
Oth
CC/HE
PhD/EdD
Med/MA
BA/BS
Gaye Luna
EdD AdultEd
M.A.
VocEd
BA/BusEd
9
9
23
Kris Ewing
M.A PE
BS PE
0
12
6
Ishmael Munene
EdD AdultEd
PhD
Admin/Policy
M.Ed/Intl
BS SecEng
0.5
16
Karyn Blair
EdD
M.Ed Sec
BS PE
31
4
Mary Culver
EdD EDL
M.A. C&I
B.S. StatHx
10
8
Mary
Dereshiwsky
PhD BusAdmin
M.S. Acct
B.S. Educ
0
21
Ric Wiggall
EdD EdAdmin
M.A. Sec
B.S.
Chem&Bio
18
13
M.Ed. in Educational Leadership-Community College/Higher Education
Yrs HEd
Page 5
William Wright
EdD EdLdr
M.A.
B.A.
28
17
The table below indicates faculty teaching sections of core courses in the program of study:
EDL Full-Time
Rank
Department Courses Taught/Lead Faculty Assigned
Core Faculty
Gaye Luna
Full Prof
All CC/HE courses
Kris Ewing
Clinical
Asst Prof
Ishmael Munene
Assoc Prof EDR 610
Karyn Blair
Clinical
EDL 600
Asst Prof
Mary Culver
Clinical
EDL 630
Assoc Prof
Mary Dereshiwsky Full Prof
EDR 610
Ric Wiggall
Assoc Prof EDL 680
William Wright
Full Prof
EDL 622, 660
*EDF 630 has been taught by part-time, contingent faculty members during the most recent
three years.
Evidence of Teaching Effectiveness and Innovation
Course Evaluations
Course evaluations for M.Ed. in Educational Leadership: CC/HE classes in the most recent
academic year (2011-2102) are depicted in the chart below (5 point Likert scale; 5 is
Outstanding; 4 is Very Good). The instrument used to complete course ratings use a Likert-like 5
point scale where a rating of five is defined as Outstanding, a rating of three is Satisfactory, and
a rating of one is deemed to be Unsatisfactory. While the course evaluation instrument samples
a variety instructional design, instructional delivery, course management and instructor
variables, two items were extracted as the best indicators of course quality: The extent to
which candidates perceived that the course increased their knowledge and the degree to which
the course was considered to be worthwhile. Reviewing the results of courses in the program
during this review period, instructors and the overall course content are evaluated as very good
to outstanding. Students appear to be very satisfied with the instruction in the Master’s with a
CC/HE emphasis. The response rate from students averages about the mid-40% range. Low
student response rate is a concern since COE went to electronic methods of rating professors.
Student course evaluations for the numerous courses CC/HE vary. The ratings for the courses
CC 590 and CC 640 are lower than other CC courses offered to students due to the examination
and redevelopment of course content and technological resources in both courses. The
redevelopment of CC 590 required a two-year development period where content was
reviewed by experts external to the university, learning modules were redesigned, and
technological resources were added to the course. In 2011-12, the redeveloped course was
M.Ed. in Educational Leadership-Community College/Higher Education
Page 6
piloted in the university’s learning management system with cutting-edge technological
resources. Problems have been identified with the technological resources offered in the CC
590 course. For CC 640, the course content has been determined not in alignment with the
program’s focus of leadership; the content focuses on curriculum in terms of teaching and
learning. The CC 640 course will be eliminated from the program or redesigned to meet
students’ leadership needs and interests. EDL 630 realized a higher than average level of
student satisfaction. An Emeritus faculty member has been teaching EDL for several years and
his methodology of instruction and general wealth of experience has led to this high level of
satisfaction in EDL 630. EDR 610 has received less than the average level of student
satisfaction. EDR 610 is often our master’s students’ first experience with an online course.
Additionally, EDR610 has the highest number of classes offered each semester by part-time
instructors. The EDL department will be discussing means of raising student satisfaction in EDR
610 through an analysis of available data and then apply intervention strategies. The same is
true regarding EDL 660. This course is primarily taught by part-time faculty and it is a course
that is applied to other degree programs beyond M.Ed. in Educational Leadership: CC/HE.
FOUNDATIONS
Course Number and Title
EDR 610 Introduction to Research
Sections Response
Taught
Rate
2011-12 (range)
28
50%
Increased
Knowledge
Course
Worthwhile
3.80
3.71
4.25
4.23
4.59
4.19
4.23
4.18
4.28
4.25
Increased
Knowledge
Course
Worthwhile
4.37
4.25
4.31
4.40
3.76
3.60
4.63
4.63
(0-100%)
EDF 630 Foundations of Education Law
5
35%
(6-52(%)
EDL 622 Legal Aspects of School
Administration
CC 580 The Community College
13
40%
(0-73%)
12
47%
(25-64%)
CC 680 Higher Education in the United
States
LEADERSHIP SKILL DEVELOPMENT
Course Number and Title
EDL 600 Leadership Skills
6
56%
(29-100%)
Sections Response
Taught
Rate
2011-12 (range)
18
50%
(11-100%)
EDL 630 Leadership Development
7
80%
(33-100%)
EDL 660 Action Learning Modules
5
42%
(30-57%)
EDL 680 Master’s Seminar
8
45%
(33-60%)
M.Ed. in Educational Leadership-Community College/Higher Education
Page 7
SPECIALIZATION ELECTIVES
Course Number and Title
CC 590 Educational Technology in the
College Classroom
CC 599 Contemporary Developments
Sections Response
Taught
Rate
2011-12 (range)
3
48%
Course
Worthwhile
3.64
3.55
Not offered in
this period
4.60
Not offered
in this period
4.60
3.97
3.99
4.61
4.57
4.30
4.32
4.50
4.50
(33-57%)
0
%
(%)
CC 620 Programs for Access and
Opportunity
CC 640 Curriculum Construction
Increased
Knowledge
3
45%
(38-52%)
4
54%
(50-64%)
CC 670 Adult Learners
5
64%
(40-100%)
CC 688 College Teaching
7
41%
(13-54%)
CC 696 Internship
2
18%
(0-36%)
CC 699 Thesis*
1
0%
Not rated in
Not rated in
this period
this period
* With the limited number of faculty members in the CC/HE specialization area, the program has
only been unable to offer the thesis option in extenuating circumstances. The majority of
candidates in the program select the internship option as they are not seeking more advanced
degrees.
(0%)
Faculty Contributions to Discipline or Profession through Scholarly, Creative or Professional
Activity
EDL Core Faculty Publications and Presentations, 2003-2012
EDL Core
Faculty
Publications
Core Faculty
2003-2012 Authored Book
Journal
Conference
Appendix H
Books
Chapters Publications Presentations
n= 14
22
39
122
249
During the time period 2003 through 2012 the fourteen Educational Leadership core faculty
authored 22 books, 39 book chapters, 122 journal publications, and 249 conference
presentations (international, national, state, regional, and local). These are summarized above
and can be found in Appendices H, Core Faculty Publications and Core Faculty Presentations.
We consider these numbers to be a substantial contribution to the field of educational
leadership.
M.Ed. in Educational Leadership-Community College/Higher Education
Page 8
The faculty members in CC/HE are very involved in the profession, regionally, and nationally.
Since the last review, the senior faculty member in CC/HE has been published as first author or
co-author in 14 journals, the major of which are refereed. This individual has attended or
presented at 28 state, national, and international conferences, of which manuscripts were
published as proceedings in five publications. This individual has served on numerous
department, college, and university committees and is a member of varied committees external
to the university. Her contacts with the community college/higher education community have
extended over a period of 24 years while employed by the university. The junior full-time
faculty member in CC/HE has presented at eight conferences, many of which were key-speaker
invitations, and has published in three refereed journals. This individual has been involved in
programs and committees such as a Mentor for the Obama Scholar Mentor Program, By-Laws
for College of Education, New Student Orientations, University Career Women, Campus
Environment Team, Commission on the Status of Women, and College Strategic Planning
Teams. Both full-time faculty members in CC/HE belong to organizations: American Education
Research Association, Association for the Study of Higher Education, American College
Personnel Association, National Association for Student Personnel Administrators, Association
of American Colleges and Universities, and American Association of Community Colleges.
Please see the appendix for a list of all EDL faculty contributions, including some of the CC/HE
faculty’s contributions.
Program Diversity and Student Engagement with Diversity
In 2011, two full-time faculty members from the foundations area (i.e., educational sociology,
philosophy, history, and anthropology) were asked by the CC/HE faculty members to review the
CC courses for diversity. Comments included the following: (1) include, where applicable,
implications for culturally relevant pedagogy, (2) include more of the sociopolitical context of
education, and (3) ask students to further address the role of culture, language, race, gender,
etc. in the development of their responses to relevant course assignments. These areas for
improvement have now been included in the courses. In all of the CC courses, associations,
professional organizations, and groups that address diversity are shared with graduate
students. Students are encouraged to consider diversity in selecting topics and areas for their
research in CC courses.
Assessment of Student Learning/Success
Candidate learning and/or success are evaluated by reviewing final grades for the courses taken
in the program of study. The program has learning objectives for each CC courses, which are
achieved through a variety of student assignments and activities. These have been determined
by content committees convened in AY 2007-2010. Content experts external to the university
reviewed course curriculum, student expectations, and course objectives and goals. All CC
courses were developed online during this period with the following goal: Web course
development requires using information technology to transform teaching and learning and to
better prepare NAU graduates and the Arizona populace in general for the Arizona workplace
M.Ed. in Educational Leadership-Community College/Higher Education
Page 9
of the future. One vehicle to achieve these goals is to develop and deliver Web courses and
course enhancements using a standardized course management system
Mentoring and Research Activity of Graduate Student
The community college community within the state of Arizona includes 10 community college
districts. These districts allow for leadership opportunities and experiences for graduate
students. The community college districts contact the CC/HE faculty members each year with
internships, research assignments, and scholarship opportunities for CC/HE graduate students.
Students in CC courses are encouraged each semester to submit their research as manuscripts
for publication or conference presentations statewide and nationally. CC/HE students as
current or future leaders in higher education are members of numerous professional
associations. Their participation in CC courses includes sharing of contacts, creation of
networks, and presentation of professional information and literature in the courses. CC/HE
faculty members recruit course and program students to the Ed.D. Program in Educational
Leadership.
Contributions to the University and Contributions to the Community, State, and Region:
The Master of Education (M.Ed.) in Community College/Higher Education (CC/HE) seeks to
develop graduates with 21st century domestic and global skills to work in a rapidly changing
education market where public and private institutions, government agencies, and business
partnerships are the new norm. This new norm requires cutting-edge higher education
scholarship and knowledge delivery where students have the digital/social media readiness,
solution-focused skills, entrepreneurial ideas, and diversity/global competencies for adaptable
professional advancement. With the Master of Education (M.Ed.) in Community College/Higher
Education, CC/HE graduates will be prepared to work in this 21st century diverse market
comprised of public and private community colleges and universities that operate in a schoolcentric models that require practitioners with blended skills in leadership and student success.
Further, CC/HE graduates will be prepared for opportunities in non-profit and for-profit
institutions, online and virtual campuses, and in sponsored campuses and programs. Entrylevel positions for CC/HE graduates will include school-centric academic specialists, parttime/full-time ground and online instructors with their expertise in academic disciplines, and
trans-disciplinary and business liaisons. Mid-level positions for CC/HE graduates will include
positions such assistant dean in enrollment management, executive associate in Ameri-Corp, or
assistant director of sustainability. The degree program provides for leadership growth in
numerous and varied employment.
The CC/HE Program has been viewed as adaptable and collaborative with other academic
departments and colleges/schools. These qualities have contributed to students outside of
education to enroll in CC courses and the degree program. This degree program is one of the
few university programs which allows course/program access without prerequisites.
M.Ed. in Educational Leadership-Community College/Higher Education
Page 10
Plans for the Future:
The CC/HE program is committed to continuously evaluating the effectiveness of the program
and making changes that best meet the needs of students within the constraints of the limited
resources currently available. Future improvements for the M.Ed. in Educational Leadership:
CC/HE fall into four broad categories: Students, faculty/staff, program enhancements, and
program delivery system. This self-study indicated several program-related changes. The
faculty members in the CC/HE program are currently working on the following changes to the
Master’s program.
Students:
1. Increase the diversity of the candidate pool. While the candidate pool in the M.Ed. in EDL:
CC/HE is more diverse than many programs in the College, the faculty members recognize a
need to continue their efforts to recruit and retain a more diverse candidate pool for this
program. The program has demonstrated success in attracting candidates from
Hispanic/Latino(a) backgrounds (currently 25% of the candidates in the program), yet over 50%
of the current candidates identify themselves as white. As part of the plans to develop specific,
targeted recruitment strategies, the faculty members and College administration will work with
the NAU Graduate College and the Office of Marketing to develop strategies to recruit diverse
candidates for this program. Of specific interest would be to continue targeted efforts to
recruit students from Hispanic backgrounds and to increase the proportion of candidates from
Native American backgrounds (College of Education goals 4 ; NAU Goal 6).
2. Increase student enrollments through the examination of developing a CCHE massive open
online course (MOOC), with topics such as social entrepreneurship in higher education, global
diversity and the impact on higher education, and assessment strategies for higher education
objectives and goals.
3. Include social networking and mobile mentoring as options in CC/HE courses and to
communicate with graduate students in the CC/HE program. This includes utilizing
technological tools of the 21st century such as social media networks, instant messaging, apps
for mobile devices, and twitter.
4. Collect information about students’ experiences in CC/HE courses and program to improve
college offerings, utilizing mobile apps. Utilize mobile outreach (a) to engage with students who
often don’t respond to e-mails and (b) to send out warnings (i.e., reminders of assignment due
dates).
Faculty/Staff
1. Review current CC/HE program resources. The CC/HE program currently has two full-time
faculty members and largely depends on part-time, contingent faculty members to provide
instruction for course offerings across the state. While the heavy dependence on part-time,
M.Ed. in Educational Leadership-Community College/Higher Education
Page 11
contingent faculty members has generally not been a persistent problem because there are a
number of qualified part-time instructors available to teach in the program, the faculty
members in the department and program remain concerned about the limited degree to which
they can provide curriculum oversight, supervision of instruction, and assure quality control
efforts to maintain the curriculum integrity of the program. The program needs to target hiring
additional tenure-track or non-tenure track faculty members in CC/HE to assure the continuity
and quality of curriculum offerings.
2. Develop a process for identify lead faculty members for the core course offerings. Lead
faculty does mentor up to 10-15 part-time faculty. Investigation of incentives for faculty
members to engage more with adjunct instructors while continuing to teach in the core
curriculum is needed.
Program
The Master of Education (M.Ed.) in Community College/Higher Education (CC/HE) is a nonlicensure option that seeks to prepare students/graduates for education leadership
opportunities. Students enrolled in courses and the degree program come from a variety of
majors (e.g., English, Communications, Science), wishing to learn more about higher education
environments, whether public or private. CC/HE faculty members have worked with student
feedback and external academic partners to make revisions within the program of study
without sacrificing the quality and focus of the degree. The prefix of the courses was changed
from CC to CCHE in fall of 2012, reflecting community colleges and universities. The program is
now referred to as the CCHE Emphasis.
1. The M.Ed. Degree in Educational Leadership with a Community College/Higher Education
Emphasis is now a fully online degree. CCHE Courses offered face-to-face are still available
throughout the state for those candidates who wish to attend CC courses in distance locations.
Program scheduling will be evaluated to identify potential target markets as well as quantity of
course sections required to meet student demand in high-need areas and throughout the state.
The program faculty members and department administration will work with the Director of
Academic Operations in Extended Campuses to develop plans for strategically offering the
CCHE program throughout the state, integrating instruction of full-time faculty members with
part-time, contingent faculty hires and create a process whereby faculty members in the CCHE
area are able to assess the quality of the program in all locations where courses are offered.
2. The CCHE 580 course (The Community College) is only offered in the M.Ed. program, where
the course can be used for some community college districts that require the course for
teaching qualifications. The program faculty members plan to explore the possibility of
integrating this course into other program offerings (perhaps other master’s programs) that
may be relevant to prospective candidates working in or intending to become employed by
community colleges in Arizona or the southwest region.
M.Ed. in Educational Leadership-Community College/Higher Education
Page 12
3. Develop a comprehensive and rigorous assessment system for the M. Ed. in Educational
Leadership: CCHE. At present, the program uses course grades to assess the effectiveness of
the program. CCHE faculty members will work with the Office of Curriculum, Learning Design,
and Academic Assessment to craft a comprehensive and rigorous assessment system that is
aligned to major program learning outcomes, samples student learning/success across the
program, is articulated with university-level learning outcomes, and includes an electronic
system to gather key artifacts of student learning and evaluate these artifacts to determine the
extent to which candidates demonstrate the major program learning outcomes. CCHE faculty is
interested in looking at alternative measures of student success to measure the complex and
robust nature of a graduate program. This may include questions on whether students have
met their goals, whether personal or professional; whether students have obtained advanced
knowledge or a skill set for their employment; whether students were motivated to enroll in
future CCHE courses; whether students were able to continue on a path to success after leaving
the course, program, or institution; and whether students’ contacts and networks were
developed, expanded, or redefined.
Delivery System:
1. In the review period, the program shifted from a hybrid delivery (part in-person, part online)
offered primarily in a 16-week format, to a fully online program with all core CCHE course
offered in short, 7-week formats. The faculty members are very comfortable with the current
changes. There are no plans for altering this online delivery system for this degree program at
this time.
2. The CCHE courses and program are still offered face-to-face in the metropolitan areas of the
state. The need for F2F courses for the rural areas of the state needs to be reconsidered,
especially on the reservations where technology continues to offer challenges.
3. The interest for short-term, intensive courses (e.g., 3-week, 3 weekends) in CCHE needs to
be determined. This format, whether online, hybrid, or F2F, would allow working professionals
additional enrollment opportunities.
M.Ed. in Educational Leadership-Community College/Higher Education
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