Dean Team Minutes
March 11, 2014
9:00 – 11:00 a.m.
Central Conference Room
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Topic
Minutes
Retention – Next
Steps
Present (*):
Presenter
All
AS
Kathie Hunt (KH)
Kim Thompson (KT)
Bob Francis (BF)
Susan Hoyne* (SH)
Bayta Maring* (BM)
Samira Pardanani* (SP)
Dan Fey* (DF)
Gillian Lewis* (GL)
Alison Stevens* (AS)
Discussion
The following minutes were approved: January 14, 17, 21, 27, 31; February 4, 11, 18.
Alison asked Deans to review David Cunningham’s March 4 email and pay attention to
the questions he addressed. Bayta provided a spreadsheet of the ideas Deans came up
with. It identifies the strategy, actions, budget needs, lead persons, urgent actions and
notes.
Ask the Students. Bayta is invested in engaging the Student Government with the Noel
Levitz survey and data collection process. It will be an opportunity for students to have
a voice in their education. She will identify the 10 wildcard questions with the students.
Student Interest Groups. Other than staff time, the SIG project won’t require an aSAP.
This will provide a lot of potential for Fall to Winter retention.
Alison reported an advising session at the recent conference she attended revealed how
one college provided a computer lab in the Student Services area dedicated to doing
online orientation. It was aimed at students who don’t have access to computers and not
likely to follow through with all things to get enrolled. Trained staff rotated through to
assist. Even though SCC has 3 computers available, Bob recommended deploying
laptops during crunch times. Alison recommended setting up something in the PUB
with qualified work studies to help students.
Deans need to move quickly on the SIGs and decide how many to pilot. Deans agreed to
discuss this and other retention efforts on Fridays. SIGs will be discussed this coming
Friday.
Ask the Students. Bayta will make progress with the Noel Levitz and put together a
timeline. It will be done entirely online and she will need to figure out how to boost the
response rate, get the word out, its importance, and demonstrate the value of it. There
will be an incentive for students, i.e. a gift certificate in the Bookstore. Bayta’s target
will be a 30% response rate.
Mid-quarter Academic Check-in. We are talking about a “check your grade” day.
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Action Items
Deans will select four main
retention projects at the
March 14 DT meeting that
will form their plan and
how they are going to
move forward on them for
feedback.
Deans will review David
Cunningham’s March 4
email about Retention
Momentum.
Alison takes the checkyour-grade day concept to
the Faculty Senate.
Topic
Presenter
Discussion
Faculty should be aware students will be checking their grades. Students have to figure
out how their grading is done. This should be made very clear in the syllabus. Bayta
said to keep in mind this is a retention project. It can take a lot of different forms.
Instead of a “grade” check-in we should make it “progress check-in day.” It can take a
lot of different forms. The idea there is a mechanism by which students are prompted to
think about their progress in class. The idea is retention. We want them to be able to
improve. Samira pointed out there are a lot of educational systems – some cultures just
take a final exam at the end. More explanation will be helpful to everyone.
Action Items
Bayta said this will take a priority – there is no real cost. It has a huge potential for
impact on retention. This will need to be discussed in division meetings as it will take
faculty time. In order to make this happen we have to have faculty buy-in. To make this
more formal, Alison will take it to the Faculty Senate.
Alison suggested this Friday we put together which four main projects will form part of
our plan and how we are going to move forward on those four. We will provide it to the
campus for feedback. It will go to the Faculty Senate and Student Government to get
people thinking about it and give us suggestions.
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Student Complaints
Spreadsheet
AS
JUMC agreed the spreadsheet will be used for student complaints. If Ann or Samira
have any students complaining, they need to be referred to the appropriate Dean after
attempting to resolve the complaint with their instructor. Bob explained eventually we
will be moving to traditional tracking software. For areas that have Department Chairs
handle student complaints, it is important for them to know they must report to their
Dean. If there is a pattern over the years it can be brought up during the FEP process.
The spreadsheet provides a place for comments where Deans can note if they detect
students with a repeated pattern of complaints about instruction. The Department of
Education requires we track this. When we get the next accreditation visit, they may ask
where your student complaints are. They will be in our H Drive.
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Evening Degree
Program
AS
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Policy 5120 Final
AS
Alison has scheduled a meeting with the UW Evening Degree & Academic Advising
people that Deans are invited to attend. The purpose of the meeting is to talk about how
to coordinate so students transfer seamlessly. The UW degree is a completion program.
Students have to have 75 credits to attend their evening program. It is a perfect match.
Bob recommended PIO be involved to market this once we have the pathways. Samira
advised Deans that International Education has to get permission for students off site –
Homeland Security.
Alison asked for feedback from Deans regarding Policy 5120. Bob said generally
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Bob will draft a new
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Topic
Examinations
Presenter
Dean Team SAPs
AS
Discussion
speaking the instructor works out situations when students have three or more final
exams in one day. Gillian noted there should be a written request and a written response.
Bob volunteered to draft language for this policy that will be given to Amy Kinsel.
Possible SAPs needed – brainstorm:
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Action Items
wording proposal.
$100,000 for Extended Days (?)
Another Engineering faculty
Coordinator for Energy program
Release time
Fees for Engineering
Another Mathematics faculty
Director of Advising & Retention
2 new Advisors
Career Navigator in Workforce/coding assistance
CE program
Partnership with City of Shoreline (McVeety position)
Director of Automotive
Financial Aid funding
NRG fees
Release time for Criminal Justice and Honors program
Bob asked everyone to keep in mind some parts of our Strategic Plan have not been
addressed in previous SAPs. He will provide a chart to Deans. Bayta emphasized that
reflects only SAPs. There are flat line budget items that address all those items. Just
because a SAP is not associated with strategic initiatives does not mean there is no
money. Retention is an example. It is a strategic goal. We are addressing initiatives.
Perhaps another analysis is to look at each initiative. What have you done to be
strategic? There is another level of analysis and data collection that needs to happen at
some point.
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e-Team Question on
Online Evaluations
Kim T.
Susan said the Dean Team needs to go over the questions again to clarify what we are
talking about. Susan will resend the questions.
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Standing Item:
JUMC Update
BF
Bob presented a draft spreadsheet Karen Kreutzer developed to help us determine how
many Senior Associates we are going to have. Bob said we need to modify and
regularize it. He will send Bayta an electronic copy of the spreadsheet. What is needed
is a decision if it makes sense to fill these positions. Bayta said it seems like a piece of
information that is valuable in helping to figure out if we can offer a Senior Associate
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Susan will resend to Deans
the questions for the online
evaluations.
Topic
Presenter
Discussion
position is finding out what classes are currently covered by part-time faculty.
Bob would like Stephen to join a Dean Team meeting to discuss what criteria we will be
using for people who are 100% online. We have to have a level of consistency and
expectations for 100% online faculty. Faculty need to be held to a level of participation
and engagement. We need clarity about what we require – attend all division meetings,
etc. Otherwise we end up with a real disparity. We don’t want to be punitive to people
teaching online.
Susan said we have a lot of students coming in from EdCC. Faculty have said the reason
they are coming to us is EdCC has so many teaching online there is no one to talk to. It
makes a huge difference to students.
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Good of the Order
Gillian said that Diana Knauf’s Advising Training has been received well. It has been
videotaped and will be posted on the faculty advising page. The two advisors who
attended thought it was perfect for beginners.
Gillian shared a story about one of our nursing students who saved a lady’s life during
her first hour being on the clinical floor.
Adjourned 11:10 am
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Action Items