MT. SAN JACINTO COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT
BUDGET DEVELOPMENT FISCAL 2014-2015
ADMINISTRATOR USE:
Resource Allocation Proposal
Janice Levasseur, MSJC SI Coordinator
Originator:
Supplemental Instruction (SI)
Program or Department Name:
Area Dean:
___________________
Micah Orloff
Campus:
district
Dr. Patrick Schwerdtfeger
Area Vice President:
Account Code:
Total Amount Requested:
One Time Funding ____
$44,059.68
On Going Funding__x_
Safety _____
Personnel____
What are you requesting? Why is the request being made? Where was the need identified?
Instructions: Explain what you are requesting (equipment, software, conference attendance, budget augmentation, faculty training, etc),
why the request is timely and important and where the need was identified (analysis of assessment data, necessary equipment has failed,
department meeting discussion, etc.)
Supplemental Instruction (SI) is an academic assistance program that has shown to be associated with an increase in
student performance and retention. SI provides weekly review sessions (free) to students enrolled in targeted
historically difficult courses. SI sessions are interactive review meetings that incorporate course content (what to
study) and study strategies (how to study).
A separate budget line for funding 12 sections of SI (at the cost of $1800/section broken down as: $10/hour for 10
hours/week for 18 weeks) per semester district-wide is requested. The total annual amount, including fixed costs,
requested is $44,059.68 ($43,200 plus estimated fixed cost $859.68). The MSJC SI Program does not have its own
budget. Currently the Program is funded through several sources: HSI Title V Grant (2010-2015), Title V STEM
Grant (2011-2016), BSI, and the general tutoring funds. One of the BSI 2011-2012 goals was to institutionalize
successful programs that have been receiving BSI funding. The recently completed mid-year BSI report states under
the “Needs” section, “Our biggest need is to move successful activities, like SI, into the general funds in order to
ensure the uninterrupted access to students.” The amount requested is nearly equivalent to the funding BSI has
provided and would free-up BSI funds for other projects, especially at a time when BSI funds to MSJC from the state
are being reduced. The establishment of an SI budget line that increases over time based on the need to support more
and more disciplines and sections will alleviate the dependency for funding from grant funding and/or the LRC
general tutoring funds. With the sun setting of the two major federal grants in the near future, it is crucial that a
budget line that increased over time be established immediately in order to sustain this beneficial and successful
program.
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Explain how your request is supported by your Program Review (2011) or Annual Program Assessment (2012-13, 2013-14):
1
Instructions: To receive points (6) for this section, you must connect this RAP to your 2011 program review or 2012-13 or 2013-14
annual program assessment. If applicable, cut and paste from your program review or annual program assessment. Cite the
document (either program review or annual program assessment, and the year if the language utilized is from an annual program
assessment) and the page number. NOTE: From this point on, no partial credit will be awarded for your responses so make all
ties to this RAP from your program review documents, learning outcomes and institutional plans, priorities and goals as clear and
strong as possible!
Per the 2011 Supplemental Instruction Program Review Topic 0.3, “Funds specifically for SI need to be
established from general (district) funds.” Further, under Topic 2.4, “It is recommended that a separate budget
line be created for the SI Program. This budget should increase over time based on the increased need to
support more and more disciplines with an effective student support program. . . . Currently, the MSJC SI
Program does not have a budget.”
With the current definition of “program”, an Annual Program Assessment was not applicable. While SI does
not itself lead to a degree or a certificate, SI does impact many “programs”, for example:
Music APA 2013: E. Final Summary, “A student success innovation implemented recently is an SI
Leader being placed in Music Theory 1 (MUS 103) classes at SJC and MVC. We have seen student success
improve, and student involvement flourish as a result.”
History APA 2013: B. Courses Analysis, “Students are recommended to complete English 92 or 98 before
taking History courses but there are no required prerequisites. This can be challenging in a discipline that
heavily emphasizes research and writing and often underprepared students are enrolling in our courses who
need additional assistance outside the classroom. For this reason, these numbers demonstrate the need for
additional SI Leaders, SMART Thinking, and tutoring support on both campuses.”
“The success rate for the SI Group of History 103 students was 82.1% while the success rate of the non-SI
group was 64.4%. The attrition rate for the SI group was only 5.1% while the attrition rate for the non-SI group
was 13.4%. For History 104, the success rate for the SI Group was 86.1% while the non-SI group was 58.5%.
The attrition rate for the SI group was 5.6% while the non-SI group was 24.5%. What these numbers show us
is that SI has made a significant impact on the success and retention of students in two of the hardest History
courses we offer at the college. The difference between the performances of SI versus non-SI students is
statistically significant and justifies the expansion of SI support for History Departments on both campuses. “
” Overall, the success rates and fill rates listed in this program review reflect the need to hire additional fulltime
faculty, expand the History course offerings at both campuses, support technology improvements in San Jacinto
Campus classrooms by funding the purchase of a SMART white board/screen to improve teaching
effectiveness and student learning, as well as the need to expand support services such as Supplemental
Instruction, History tutoring in the Learning Resource Center, and SMART Thinking.”
E. Final Summary “The History Departments at SJC and MVC are also requesting the expansion of
support for the SI Program. We currently have 1 student SI Leader at the San Jacinto Campus and 2 student SI
Leaders at the Menifee Valley Campus. As reflected in the lower success rates of History Department classes
as compared to the campus average, there is a clear need for SI support. We would like to request a second
student SI Leader for the San Jacinto Campus and a third student SI Leader for the Menifee Valley Campus to
address the needs of our students.”
Biology APA 2013: E. Final Summary “We maintain a vibrant Supplemental Instruction (SI) presence in
our majors level classes and some others as well. SI Leaders have been instrumental in promoting the success
of our students. The data suggest that those students who use SI. have higher success and retention rates. The
opportunity to serve as an SI Leader has been a boon to those students who are chosen, and they serve as
models for other students.”
The establishment of an SI budget line that increases over time based on the need to support more and more
disciplines and sections is necessary to ensure the uninterrupted continuation of this successful academic
assistance program.
Describe how your request is supported by your Unit Plan (provide link to 2013-14 Unit Plan)
Instructions: To receive points (5) for this section, you must join this RAP to the current unit plan created by your dean. If
applicable, cut and paste from the unit plan, citing the page number.
Section I
Library and Technology Unit Plan Section I.a- “Supplemental Instruction has assisted in enhanced student
performance and it would be advantageous for the District to increase service levels (serving more sections)
and to institutionalize SI services that will soon drop off of grant funding.”
Explain how your request is supported by your CLO/PL0/AUO/SLO:
Instructions: To receive points (9) for this section, you must tie this RAP to your current learning outcomes. List the learning
outcomes that link to this RAP and explain how these learning outcomes support this RAP.
Section I
The SI Program is not a class and therefore does not have Course Learning Outcomes. The SI Program does
not belong to a single department and therefore does not have Department Learning Outcomes. Nonetheless,
the SI Program does involve three cohorts of students – the SI Students (who participate in the SI review
sessions), the student SI Leaders, and the student SI Mentors. Learning Outcomes were written for each group
of students involved in the SI Program and were measured for the first time in the Spring 2011 semester.
However, given the current setup of Elumen and the nature of the SI Program (supporting many sections in
numerous departments), the SI learning outcome data is not housed in Elumen but instead resides with the SI
Coordinator. Following is a summary of the learning outcomes of the SI Program which details how the
learning outcomes support this Resource Allocation Proposal.
SI Student learning outcomes are: 1) "SI Students will demonstrate a deeper understanding of course material
through improved test grades and overall class grades"; 2) "SI Students will demonstrate higher results in the
CLOs"; and 3) "SI Students will employ an improved study skills set." End of the semester data analysis
consistently supports the first learning outcome. SI students succeed at a higher rate than the students who
choose not to participate in SI (75% versus 58%). SI students also withdraw at a lower rate than their
nonparticipating counterparts (9% versus 21%).
Learning outcomes for the SI Leader are: 1)"SI Leaders will identify multiple services available to assist
students", 2) "SI Leaders will integrate effective study skills into the SI sessions", and 3) "SI Leaders will judge
accurately their effectiveness as an SI Leader. Outcomes #2 and #3 were assessed in the Fall 2012 semester.
With regards to learning outcome #2, 86% of the SI Leaders had adequate to superior integration of study skills
into their SI sessions. Only 49% of the SI Leaders accurately judged their effectiveness as an SI Leader.
(When comparing the mentor’ evaluation to the leaders’ evaluations, it was often found that the leaders often
underestimated their skills.)
Only one learning outcome for the SI Mentor has been identified: "SI Mentors will accurately judge the
effectiveness of the SI Leaders they mentor." This outcome has yet to be assessed.
SI provides a unique opportunity for students to positively interact with one another and with the course
material. In order to continue to offer this opportunity for students (thereby allowing for the opportunity for
students to achieve these learning outcomes), it is essential to establish an SI budget line that increases over
time based on the need to support more and more disciplines and sections.
Describe how your request is aligned with one or more of the following Institutional Priorities: (link to strategic plan)
Student Success
Instructions: To receive points (10) for this section, you must join this RAP to an increase in student success. How would funding
this RAP improve student learning? Describe specifically how students would benefit.
Section II
SI has proven to be a viable academic assistance program here at MSJC that positively impacts student success.
There is ample in-house data to demonstrate that students who participate in SI succeed at a statistically
significant higher rate (75% vs. 58%) and withdraw at a lower rate (9% vs. 21%) than their non-SI counterparts.
A recent analysis of MSJC SI data revealed that if a student does not attend SI, the probability of successfully
completing the course is only 66%. However, if a student attends SI at least once a week, the probability of
successfully completing the course increases to 87% and if a student attends SI twice a week the probability
jumps to 96%! (Note: these results mirror SI results from other colleges/universities.) Further, a recent
preliminary study of Spring 2013 MSJC SI data has suggested that SI supported classes are outperforming the
unsupported classes. This phenomenon will continue to be monitored and studied. Lastly, since SI sessions
integrate “what to learn” (course content) with “how to learn” (study skills strategies), it is a goal of SI that SI
students take those strategies and apply them to all their classes, whether those classes have SI or not. SI
sessions integrate "what to learn" (course content) with "how to learn" (study skills strategies).
As with many schools, several of the MSJC Learning Communities have an SI component. The pairing of
these two student success initiatives has positively impacted student performance. In addition, the MSJC SI
Program has incorporated Reading Apprenticeship (another student success initiative) by training all SI Leaders
in reading strategies that they in turn pass on to the SI participants.
The benefits of the SI Program are not limited to the students who participate in the SI sessions. The SI
Leaders, themselves, benefit from their leader experience. SI Leaders develop many “soft skills” that
contribute to their own academic success. A recent MSJC study examined the benefits SI Leaders acquire
through their participation with the SI Program:
 100% of former leaders surveyed reported improved communication skills
 89% reported improved tutoring skills
 83% reported improved leadership skills
 83% reported an increased value placed on students working through problems together
 83% reported an increased appreciation of working outside one’s comfort zone.
A report put out by the RP Group in January 2013, “Using student voices to redefine support, What community
college students say institutions, instructors and others can do to help them succeed”, identified 6 factors that
influence student success: Directed, Focused, Nurtured, Connected, Engaged, and Valued. SI is a venue that
provides all 6 of these factors. A sample of 91 Spring 2013 SI students were asked to rank the following
statements on a scale from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree) with the following results:
1. Participating in SI helped me feel more directed (I have a goal and I know how to achieve it.)  4.75
2. Participating in SI helped me feel more focused (I am on track to meet my goal.)  4.71
3. Participating in SI helped me feel more nurtured (I feel somebody wants me to succeed and that
somebody is there to help me.)  4.69
4. Participating in SI helped me to feel more connected (I feel a part of the college community.)  4.69
5. Participating in SI helped me feel more engaged (I actively listen, participate in class, and/or am
involved in extracurricular activities.)  4.64
6. Participating in SI helped me feel more valued (my skills and experiences are recognized, I have
opportunities to contribute on campus and I feel my contributions are appreciated.)  4.62
Please find attached the RP Group’s Success Factors poster and the survey administered to SI students.
In order to continue to provide the opportunity for students to participate in the SI Program (and therefore
experience success on many levels), it is essential to establish an SI budget line that increases over time based
on the need to support more and more disciplines and sections.
Fiscally Sound Position:
Instructions: To receive points (8 for this section, you must connect this RAP to a more fiscally sound position for the district..
For example, how would funding this RAP increase district revenues or decrease district expenditures?
SI has been written into the Instructional Component of three recently awarded grants because it has proven to
be measurable, academically beneficial, and cost effective. When the 2008-2011 CCRAA Title V STEM Grant
received an addition $60,000, half was immediately allocated to SI due to the recognized impact of SI! The
extra funds, in one fell swoop, doubled the SI support of STEM courses during the last year of that grant.
A logistic regression on Spring 2012 data, identified SI participation to be one of two significant factors
contributing to student success (note: the many other factors studied, including placement scores in math and
English as well as learning center tutoring hours, were not statistically significant.) Therefore, since it has been
proven statistically that SI participation directly impacts the probability of successfully completing a course, SI
contributes to the reduction in the number of students needing to repeat a course. This in turn benefits not only
the students (in time and money) but also the college as there are fewer students needing to, “get back in line”
to repeat a course.
It was previously mentioned that SI is cost effective. SI sessions need to average 3 students per session to be
cost effective. The figure of 3 comes from the International Center for Supplemental Instruction’s training and
is based on a comparison of SI to tutoring. It is reasonable to assume an average one-on-one tutoring session is
about 20 minutes in length. Given this assumption a single tutor can then see 3 students in an hour. At the
conclusion of each semester, the SI Coordinator examines the average session size. While data have shown that
a small percentage of session have not been cost effective, a vast majority have been, averaging between 3 and
13 students per sessions. If a section is consistently not cost effective, possible reasons are considered: is it
the instructor’s methods (flipped classroom, HW not required, etc), is it the time/day of the class (too late, too
early), is it the leader? It has been noticed over the years that some instructors’ have small (less than 3
students) SI sessions. The SI Leaders often report that the instructors are so good in class that the students
(think they don’t) need additional support. Another situation where small SI attendance has been observed is
when an instructor’s class is a flipped class. In these situations, the SI Leaders report interacting with the
students in class and consequently the students don’t attend the SI sessions outside of class. This careful study
of cost effective and not cost effective sections helps guide placement of SI support the following. Sections
that are not cost effective are reevaluated for SI fund allocations.
In order to continue to provide uninterrupted SI support, it is essential to establish an SI budget line that
increases over time based on the need to support more and more disciplines and sections.
Systematic Planning and Assessment:
Instructions: To receive points (2) for this section, you must fasten this RAP to an enhancement in the district's institutional
effectiveness effort. For example, how would funding this RAP improve assessment, the program review process or the use of data
for decision-making and/or institutional improvements?
The SI Program is very much driven by data. If an instructor requests SI support for a class, the SI Coordinator
first examines historical in-house data. Classes with success rates of less than 70% and/or attrition rates greater
than 20% are prime targets for SI. For example, the Basic Skills Initiative funds SI for sections of ANTH
101/102, HIST 103/104/111/112, PS 101, PSYC 101, MUS 103, and Acct 124. These courses do not have
prerequisites and/or also offer a large number of sections. These classes are also classes that are populated with
students who are also in Math 50/51 or Engl 61/62. Therefore, these 100-level courses have the potential of
being heavily populated with Basic Skills Students. The success rates of these targeted courses range from as
low as 42% to a high of 70% and therefore warrant SI support. (Note: these are the courses that are targeted
for the funds requested in this RAP.)
In addition to the preliminary data, once courses are selected for SI support, the SI Program is heavily
evaluated. Ample data is collected on the effectiveness of SI in classes and with instructors. For each class
section of SI, data collection consists of: census roster data, SI session attendance, exam scores, SI Leader
evaluations by students and faculty, final class grades. At the conclusion of the class, a full report is submitted
to the SI Instructor and the SI Leader. The report includes a GPA, success rate, and attrition rate summaries for
the SI group versus the non-SI group. The report also includes student comments such as, “SI is a very useful
program that helps students develop study skills and retain valuable information from the class” and “I would
say just that there should be a wider variety of SI sessions for more classes.” In addition to the instructors, the
appropriate deans and grant project directors are provided the same analysis that enables them to enhance their
own reporting and decision making.
With further regards to planning, the SI Coordinator works with the Learning Communities Coordinator.
Often, one of the paired classes in a Learning Community is targeted with Supplemental Instruction. For
example, in the Spring 2013 semester, there were several LCOM pairs that had SI in one of the sections: PS
101 (SI) & Engl 98, Psyc 101 (SI) & ESL 64R, and Engl 92 (SI) & Math 96. It is our belief that combining the
efforts of two successful student support programs can only serve the students well.
Lastly, the current SI Coordinator, Mrs. Levasseur, has a background in mathematics and statistics, which has
served the SI Program well. The ability of the SI Coordinator to collect, analyze, and report data is paramount
to a successful program. The SI Coordinator must be comfortable with data as applied to the decision making
process and institutional planning. As such, when drafting the SI Coordinator position, the committee agreed
upon a familiarity with data collection, analysis, and reporting as a recommended qualification for the SI
Coordinator position. Mrs. Levasseur has worked to make the data collection and reporting methods of the SI
Program a model for other programs on campus. It is essential to establish an SI budget line that increases over
time based on the need to support more and more disciplines and sections so that the MSJC SI Program can
continue to lead the way in program data collection and reporting.
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Institutional Pride and Organizational Culture:
Instructions: To receive points (3) for this section, you must join this RAP to an increase in institutional pride or improvement of
our district's organizational culture. For example, how would funding this RAP increase student and/or staff investment and
pride in the institution?
The MSJC SI Program has become recognized as a successful academic assistance program at MSJC and
across the state. The SI Program receives campus wide support from the students and faculty to the
administration and Board of Trustees. The inclusion of SI as an instructional program in the three most
recently awarded grants and in the first two annual Student Success Summits (April 2011 and 2012) has further
propelled forward the reputation the SI Program. The MSJC SI Program has proven to be a model program on
campus that other programs can emulate.
The benefits of SI are numerous. First, a culture of SI has been established at MSJC. Students are actively
participating in SI sessions and building their network of peers at MSJC (often SI students enroll in future
classes together, collaborate on projects together, and help provide opportunities to one another.) SI Leaders
and SI Mentors are viewed as campus leaders with many participating in:
 SGA (the current SGA President and VP were both SI Leaders, as well as the previous 2 Presidents)
 campus clubs (many campus club officers are SI Leaders)
 the Honors Enrichment Program (several award winning Honors projects were completed and presented
by SI Leaders)
Further, the past 4 Jack Kent Cooke Scholars were all SI Leaders!
Asides from the academic benefits the SI students reap, the gains realized by SI Leaders and SI Mentors are
tremendous too. SI Leaders gain academic benefits through the additional exposure to the course material.
Both SI Leaders and SI Mentors develop their leadership and communication skills. SI Leaders also have a
unique opportunity to foster a significant mentor-mentee relationship with their SI Instructor. One of the
things the MSJC SI Program is most proud of is the fact that five past SI Leaders have now joined the ranks of
part-time faculty here at MSJC! The SI Program provides a clear pathway where a student can progress from
SI student to SI Leader to SI Mentor before successful graduating or transferring!
The MSJC Mission Statement states, “Mt. San Jacinto College, a California Community College, offers
accessible, innovative, comprehensive and quality educational programs and services to diverse, dynamic and
growing communities both within and beyond traditional geographical boundaries.” Through its wide-reach
supporting sections in sixteen disciplines, SI is arguable one of those quality educational programs at MSJC
that benefits the all student involved! Further, MSJC core values (Excellence, Collaboration, Relationship,
Innovation, Relevance, Access, Leadership, Diversity, and Integrity) are also embodied within the SI Program:
 Excellence – All students involved with SI (whether they are SI Leaders or SI Students) are challenged
with high standards and critical thinking through the active participation in the learning process that
takes place during the SI sessions. SI Leaders are expected to model good student behavior (i.e.
excellence) at all times.
 Collaboration – One learning theory that supports the practice of SI is the Social Interdependence
Theory ~ what learners do in collaboration now, they will be able to do independently tomorrow. SI
works to create independent learners by providing learners with the study skills and strategies they will
need to be successful. Collaboration is a cornerstone of SI and all SI Leaders are trained in
collaborative learning techniques and learning strategies.
 Relationship – Interaction is another cornerstone of SI. SI Leaders develop relationships with other SI
Leaders and SI Students. Since SI is a multi-disciplinary multi-campus program, SI Leaders from
different courses of study have an opportunity to work together. Those cross-disciplinary relationships
serve the leaders well as these connections provide additional collaboration opportunities both inside
and outside the classroom. For example, a History SI Leader befriended a Chemistry SI Leader and
together with a Math SI Leader are volunteering time to assist with Cawston Elementary School’s
Family Math Night!
 Innovation – SI Leaders innovate regularly! Although trained in and expected to follow the SI Model, SI
Leaders are given the freedom to be creative! Student attendance at SI sessions is voluntary. Therefore,
it is up to the SI Leaders to plan innovative sessions! Leaders are challenged to design activities that
will help the SI students process course content while making the session efficient and relevant. The

leaders have to get the students to want to come back time after time! The SI Coordinator often
showcases the leader developed activities at meeting and conferences.
Relevance – SI provides “high impact learning” opportunities: “High-impact learning happens when
students are actively engaged in the educational process, when their learning goes beyond the classroom
to be applied to their personal and work lives. Students engaged in high-impact learning often see
improvement in grade point averages, get their degrees more quickly, and are more engaged in their
education.” (High-Impact Educational Practices”, excerpts from “High-Impact Educational Practices: What They
Are, Who Has Access to Them, and Why They Matter,” by Geore D. Kuh (ACC&U, 2008) Retrieved from
http://www.aacu.org/leap/hip.cf.) Leaders report applying SI techniques, such as redirecting, in their own
classes (both at MSJC and after transfer), at their jobs, and at home. The success of previous leaders, as
described previously, demonstrates the ability of leaders to apply what they learned in the SI Program to
their lives.
 Access – As previously described, SI provides an opportunity for students to network by fostering a
sense of community by working towards a common goal (successful completion of a course through
understanding of course content) and student life (participate in a voluntary activity on campus.)
 Leadership – The SI Program empowers the SI Leaders by placing them in a leadership role. Leaders
are responsible for creating and facilitating group study sessions. Students are empowered to take
charge of their learning. Another learning theory that supports the practice of SI is the Interpretive
Theory ~ good pedagogy empowers learners to take control of their own learning. As previously
mentioned, SI Leaders pass on study skills and strategies to create independent learners, i.e empower
the learners!
 Diversity – SI does not target groups of students. Instead SI is an academic assistance program that is
open to all students in a targeted “difficult” course and as such attracts a diverse group of students. SI
Leaders and SI Students are accustomed to sharing and respecting different opinions as all work towards
a common goal (successful completion of a course through understanding of course content). This
practice has served many past leaders and SI Students well in future endeavors, whether those
endeavors be school or work related.
 Integrity – SI Leaders are entrusted with a lot of responsibility. Leaders attend the SI class with the
students, plan two SI review sessions each week, facilitate the SI review sessions, and submit all
required paperwork. The leaders do all that is required of the SI Leader position without being
micromanaged by the SI Coordinator. The leaders regularly demonstrate integrity – doing the right
thing when no one is watching. It is the integrity of the leaders that has contributed to the growth of SI
Program.
It is with pride that the SI Program embodies the core values of MSJC!
The 7-year old MSJC SI Program has a lot to be proud of. The establishment of the SI budget line that
increases over time based on the need to support more and more disciplines and sections will be another
innovative aspect that MSJC and its SI Program can take pride in.
Community Partnerships and Service
Instructions: To receive points (2) for this section, you must connect this RAP to an improvement in community partnerships
and/or service. For example, how would funding this RAP make our local communities view our district in a more favorable
light?
In addition to the reputation the MSJC SI Program has established within the district, the MSJC SI Program has
cultivated a reputation across the state and is known for its extensive data collection and reporting. The current
SI Coordinator, Mrs. Levasseur, has recently assisted with the development of SI program at three other
colleges in California and has provided consulting for three existing ones. The consulting opportunities have
enhanced the MSJC SI Program's reputation as a model prestigious program. Also, the California Community
College Success Network (3CSN) listed the MSJC SI Program at the top of their list of "effective practices and
exemplary programs".
In addition to what Mrs. Levasseur is able to share, the SI Leaders have been able to take what they have
learned from their MSJC SI experience into the community too:
1. A MSJC SI Leader transferred to UCR and was hired on as an SI LEADER to support a class at UCR
2.
3.
4.
5.
that had never been supported with SI before. The UCR SI Coordinator was impressed with the
planning and facilitation skills of the MSJC SI Leader.
A MSJC SI Leader applied the collaborative learning strategies learned as an SI LEADER when
volunteering at the homework club for the Western Center (Charter School in Hemet).
A MSJC SI Leader utilized the group facilitation skills he learned as an SI Leader to run mandatory
group study sessions for the Writing Center at Cal State Pomona. The Leader also reported that the
MSJC SI Program’s data collection reputation preceded him!
A former MSJC SI Leader utilized the activities and collaborative learning techniques he has learned as
an SI Leader to conduct mandatory study sessions at Palomar College.
A MSJC SI Leader created an activity for her session where students worked out math problems from a
study guide. Each question the students got correct resulted in the SI Leader to put $1.00 into the pot.
As the leader reported, “The students blew through most of the questions easily and raised $20 in about
30 minutes for the animals! And they were so busy “helping” the animals that they forgot any anxiety
they were feeling about how difficult the problems were. We had a lot of fun, and they got pretty
comfortable with the material. Over the weekend I made the donation and Monday I brought them in a
receipt and photo of a dog that had just come into the shelter-their donation was going to help pay for
her spay surgery so she could be adopted ASAP. (This worked out great because I had been intending to
make a donation anyhow and was happy to be able to get others involved!).” What an outstanding way
to get involved in community service!
The SI sponsored dog
Again, the establishment of the SI budget line that increases over time based on the need to support more and
more disciplines and sections will ensure the continuation of the opportunities for students to work within the
SI Program thereby allowing them to take those learned skills out into the community.
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Describe how your request will support one or more of the 12 Institutional Goals in the Strategic Plan (link to Strategic Plan)
Instructions: Return to the strategic plan and study the 12 institutional goals. Connect this RAP to as many of these goals as
possible. To ensure the points (10) for this box are awarded, list those goals that link to this RAP. Fully explain how these goals
tie to this RAP.
While the SI Program supports all 5 Institutional Goals, the request for an SI budget line directly supports a
majority of the 12 consolidated Institutional Goals.
Under “Student Success”, SI supports #1 Improve course completion rates. The in-house SI data has
demonstrated that students who participate in SI are more successful than students who do not (75% vs. 58%
success rates respectively). Increased student success directly feeds into #2 Accelerate “time to completion”
rate for students pursuing transfer track. SI students are more successful and less likely to withdraw from
classes (when compared to their non-SI counterparts.) Therefore, SI directly supports this important goal.
Further, the benefits that SI Leaders realize (improved communication skills, improved leadership and
facilitation skills, improved understanding of course material, etc.) directly supports #3 Integrate learning,
engagement, access, and teaching initiatives that support student academics and personal growth.
Currently, the SI Program supports 54 sections district-wide. Due to room availability, the SI Program is
almost at capacity in terms of support for face-to-face sections. However, the SI Program works to provide
support to more students district wide. This semester (Spring 2014), SI has expanded into Distant Education by
piloting on-line SI for three on-line Math 96 – Intermediate Algebra courses. This expansion allows SI services
be provided without utilizing additional paper and physical resources. Further, the addition of all SI Leaders in
the SI supported classes’ Blackboard Shells (under the custom role of “SI Leader”) allows leaders to provide
digital copies of all SI session activities, thereby reducing paper usage and supporting #5 Become a greener
campus at all four learning sites.
The SI Program is heavily driven by data. From the selection of the courses to be supported with SI to the
analysis and reporting of results at the end of the semester, the MSJC SI Program is constantly evaluated. The
constant evaluation allows the SI Program to make continuous improvements. The practice of data-driven
decisions will persist and MSJC SI’s data will continued to be shared with the faculty and administration at
MSJC as well as with the International Center for Supplemental Instruction at UMKC. (“Systematic Planning
and Assessment” #6 Emphasize College-wide data-driven assessment and decision-making utilizing internal
and external data.
The SI Program promotes quality institutional communication as a key priority and practice (“Institutional
Pride and Organizational Culture” #7.) The SI Program requires all leaders to go through a 2-day training
(orientation) prior to the start of the semester and then meet monthly for continuing training. All meetings are
district-wide meetings (alternating meeting sites between the San Jacinto Campus and the Menifee Valley
Campus.) These district-wide meetings promote interaction between leaders from different disciplines and
different campuses.
The nature of SI advances and celebrates student learning, sense of community, safe and positive environment,
diversity, and employee and student pride (“Institutional Pride and Organizational Culture” #8.) Students of all
academic abilities voluntarily come together outside of class in an SI review session to learn! The SI sessions
naturally build a community of SI participants. The SI Leaders (student workers) are given the chance to be
creative and take pride in the sessions they create and facilitate. SI Students take pride in the better grades and
deeper understanding of course material. As one student said, “[The SI Leader] helped me with not only this class
but showed me how to get the best out of my study time for my other classes as well. I wouldn’t have done as well in this
or my other classes if it wasn’t for [the SI Leader].”
The MSJC SI Program promotes more student engagement in campus life (# 9 under “Institutional Pride and
Organizational Structure). First, the SI motto is “Tell me, and I forget, Show me, and I remember,Involve
me, and I understand.” ~ Chinese Proverb. The very nature of SI promotes student engagement. SI Leaders
are model students on campus and as such are often involved in multiple campus organizations. As students
begin to stay on campus to attend SI sessions, students are allowed the opportunity to engage in campus life.
The SI Leaders not only with assisting students’ processing of course content, but also promote campus wide
organizations (EOPS, Financial Aid, Counseling, Honors, PTK, etc.) and events. Many of the campus
organizations promotions are timed with “Theme Weeks” and therefore, the SI Program is a prime venue for
delivering these important tidbits of information to students.
As a recognized student support program, the MSJC SI Program has helped to increase the College’s visibility
(“Community Partnerships and Services, #10 Increase the College’s visibility, value, and recognition in our
service area.) Further, the MSJC SI Program has gained a reputation for its data collection, reporting, and
presentation. Over the past year, the current SI Coordinator, Mrs. Levasseur, has been invited to several local
colleges to discuss the building of and sustaining a strong SI Program. Mrs. Levasseur is also a regular
presenter at the annual HSI Title V Best Practices Conferences. Her sessions are reported to be very well
received.
The establishment of the SI budget line that increases over time based on the need to support more and more
disciplines and sections will ensure continued support for a majority of the Institutional Goals identified in the
Strategic Plan.
Explain how your project goals are supported by any of the following plans (2009-16 Educational Master Plan (2 points), Distance
Education Plan (1 point), Technology Plan(1 point) and/or the Facilities Master Plan (1 point)):
Instructions: Review the plans above. Join this RAP to each applicable plan. To ensure the points for this section are maximized,
list the plans that tie to this RAP and explain fully how each links to this RAP. Cut and paste plan verbiage where appropriate.
Cite page numbers for each plan that is referenced.
2009-2016 Education Plan (pg. 241) . “New methodologies should include more use of workshops, online
tutorials, and supplemental instruction.” SI was mentioned under the "Future Plans" section of the MVC
Learning Resource Center. The MSJC SI Program works in collaboration with the Learning Resource Center;
any additions to the LRC can mutually benefit the SI Program.
Section III
2009 -2016 Education Plan Supplement (pg. 53) “Development of a strong Supplemental Instruction (SI)
program throughout the district has generated impressive statistical improvement for students and is one of the
most effective methods towards improving student performance and completion rates.” Approval of this RAP is
directly tied to the development of a strong SI program. With some current grant resources scheduled to dry
up, the result would be the opposite of what our Education Plan states -- losing an opportunity to institutionalize
an effective method (statistically speaking) for improving student performance.
2011 Distance Education Plan – Student Support Standards (pg. 23) “Supplemental Instruction
opportunities are available to distance education students.” Distance Education is an area that can significantly
benefit from increased supplemental instruction. Given that retention and success rates are on average seven (7)
percent lower than face-to-face alternatives (CCCCO Distance Education Report August 2013), SI can provide
learner support services that help students to address learning barriers and help students to succeed and persist.
III
on
Secti
Describe your goal(s) for this proposal? How will this improve student learning or enhance institutional services? (link to goals and
objectives PowerPoint by our own assessment coordinator extraordinaire, Brandon Moore!!!)
Instructions: Follow the link above to review the structure of a "goal" and then share all goals for the project contained in this
RAP. To ensure the points (10) for this section are earned, explain fully how each project goal connects to this RAP.
The main goal of this proposal is to begin the institutionalization of the SI Program by securing institutional
funds to ensure its uninterrupted continuation of this successful academic assistance program. The institution
has already committed to the SI Program through the gradual institutionalization of the SI Coordinator position
(originating in the current Title V grant that will sunset in September 2015.) The SI Program goals are 1) to
increase student success rates, 2) decrease student attrition rates, and 3) successful integrate study skills so
students can transfer these skills to their other classes. In order to provide consistent SI support semester after
semester, an SI budget is necessary. Consistency will allow for improved planning of the SI line-up and better
marketing of these sections. Students will be better able to anticipate which classes will be supported with SI.
A failure to provide uninterrupted funding will fragment the beneficial services SI has proven to provide.
Therefore, it is essential to establish a SI budget line that increases over time based on the need to support more
and more disciplines and sections.
What are the measureable outcomes for this RAP that will assess progress toward meeting your goal(s) (5 points)? Explain how your
outcomes are tied to your CLO/PLO/AUO/SLO (10 points) (link to learning outcome resources and reference materials, as created
and compiled by... yes, you guessed it... our own assessment coordinator extraordinaire, Brandon Moore!!! C'mon, put your hands
together, PEOPLE!!)
Instructions: Follow the link above to review the structure of a "measurable outcome" and then create measurable outcomes for
this RAP. To ensure the points earned for this section are maximized, explain fully 1.) how each outcome will assess the
effectiveness of the (funded) RAP over its project's lifetime and 2.) join these RAP measurable outcomes to all applicable course,
program, administrative or other student learning outcomes.
Section IV
Measurable outcomes for this RAP include:
1. 12 sections of SI are funded
2. The sections funded are cost-effective (average session size measured)
3. For the sections funded, the SI participants will have higher success rates than their nonparticipating
peers
4. For the sections funded, the SI participants will have lower attrition rates than their nonparticipating
peers
All these outcomes have been measured and will continue to be measured and reported on a semester by
semester basis.
Outcomes 3 and 4 directly tie to the learning outcomes for the SI students.
What are the steps that you will take or need to be taken to implement this proposal? Demonstrate the following:
• (a) Who is in charge of implementing the project (3 points)?
• (b) What are the projected start and end dates (3 points)?
• (c) What other departments will need to assist with the acquisition/ implementation of the project (3 points)?
• (d) When will the outcomes be measured (3 points)?
• (e) How will you measure the desired outcomes (3 points)?
Section V
Instructions: O.K., you're almost done, so don't lose points now! To ensure all points (15 possible) are awarded, list who is in
charge of implementing this RAP project, the start and end dates, all departments involved, when the RAP project measurable
outcomes will be measured and how you will measure them. Once you've done this....Congratulations!!! You're DONE!!
Under the supervision of the Deans, the MSJC SI Coordinator will participate in the RAP process. Once granted the funds, the
project will begin immediately. The SI Coordinator will work with the Deans to set up the budget line and smoothly transition funds
to the appropriate sties and SI Leader assignments. The SI Coordinator will work with the Deans to fit the budget line dispersal time
line to the SI time line (hiring of SI Leaders with proper budget codes on a semester-to-semester basis.) The SI Coordinator will
continue to work with faculty members on the selection of SI Leaders. Throughout the semester, the SI Coordinator will monitor the
budget line. At the conclusion of each semester the SI Coordinator will provide descriptive reports on SI student success and attrition.
The reports will focus on a comparison between SI student performance and non-SI student performance as well as provide data on
the “cost effectiveness” of SI. Further, the SI Coordinator will continue to work with the Department of Institutional Planning and
Research (previously Associate Dean Charles Hawkins and presently the Research Analyst Nikilos Mesaris) to collect relevant data
and study the impact of SI. Through subsequent RAPS, the SI Coordinator will work towards the institutionalization of other current
grant supported SI sections (the HSI Title V grant will sunset 9/30/15 and the HSI STEM grant will sunset 9/30/16.) Ideally, the
budget line will be established by Fall 2014 and then will continue to be augmented yearly (these outcomes will be measured by the
establishment and supplementation of a budget line in Galaxy.)
Projected Expense Profile
New Personnel Request--This does not include Full Time Academic Faculty Positions.
For personnel requests please attach the job description, job classification and label "Exhibit I."
Position Title:_____ ___________________________
1XXX
Academic Salaries (Certificated)
3XXX
Benefits
Estimated Cost
Position Title:______________________________________
1XXX
Academic Salaries (Certificated)
3XXX
Benefits
Estimated Cost
Position Title:__________________________________________________
10, 11 or 12 Months
2XXX
Classified/Non Academic Salaries
3XXX
Hours per Week_____
Benefits
Position Title:____________________________________________________
10, 11 or 12 Months
2XXX
Classified/Non Academic Salaries
3XXX
Hours per Week_____
Benefits
Sub Total:
Non Personnel Requests:
Object
Code
Title
Amount
Requested
4XXX
Supplies and Materials
5XXX
Services
$44,059.68
12 SI Leader per semester (including fixed costs)
6XXX
New Equipment or Building/Site Improvements
Sub Total:
Total Budget Proposal:
-
$44,059.68
Secondary Effects (if this proposal is approved)
For Personnel Requests:
What additional space, if any, is needed to accommodate this position? If so, where is the proposed location?
No additional space would be needed to accommodate the SI sections funded through this budget line. The requested budget line
would fund sections currently funded by BSI.
For Equipment and Technology Request
Will additional space be needed to accommodate requested equipment? If so where is the proposed location?
NA
Will requested equipment require maintenance agreements and or support personnel? If so what are the projected costs?
NA
Please list future year anticipated needs and estimated financial needs. NOTE: This section refers to any anticipated funding not
addressed by this RAP, but required in the future. This will not be automatically funded. A new RAP must be completed in future
years.
Fiscal Year
2015-2016
2016-2017
2017-2018
Dean Approval
Anticipated Need
Estimated Amount
Increase the SI budget line to provide 8 additional SI sections annually
district-wide (for a total of 20 sections district wide per semester)
Increase the SI budget line to provide 8 additional SI sections annually
district-wide (for a total of 28 sections district wide per semester)
Increase the SI budget line to provide 8 additional SI sections annually
district-wide (for a total of 36 sections district wide per semester)
Date
Vice President Approval
$15,000
$15,000
$15,000
Date