REPORT OF A COMPREHENSIVE EVALUATION VISIT
ASSURANCE SECTION
TO
Tulsa Community College
Tulsa, Oklahoma
January 26-28, 2009
FOR
The Higher Learning Commission
A Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools
EVALUATION TEAM
Dr. Marty Bachman, Department Chair/Program Director, Front Range Community College, Fort
Collins, Colorado 80526
Dr. Norma Goonen, Provost for Academic and Student Affairs, Miami Dade College, Davie,
Florida 33331
Dr. Charles Guengerich, President, City Colleges of Chicago-Wilbur Wright College, Chicago,
Illinois 60634
Dr. Leo Hirner, Director-Distance Education Services, Metropolitan Community College, Kansas
City, Missouri 64111
Ms. Kathie House, Program Coordinator for Cooperative Education and Internship, Oakland
Community College, Detroit, Michigan 48221
Mr. David McShane, CIO/Vice President Information Technology, William Rainey Harper
College, Palatine, Illinois 60067
Mr. James Ratliff, Librarian, Kalamazoo Valley Community College, Kalamazoo, Michigan
49003
Dr. Susan Murphy, Vice President for External Affairs, Central New Mexico Community College,
Albuquerque, New Mexico, 87106
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Contents
I. CONTEXT AND NATURE OF VISIT .............................................................................1
II. COMMITMENT TO PEER REVIEW.............................................................................5
III. COMPLIANCE WITH FEDERAL REQUIREMENTS ...................................................6
IV. FULFILLMENT OF THE CRITERIA ............................................................................6
CRITERION ONE: MISSION AND INTEGRITY. ..........................................................6
CRITERION TWO: PREPARING FOR THE FUTURE. ................................................8
CRITERION THREE: STUDENT LEARNING AND EFFECTIVE TEACHING............10
CRITERION FOUR: ACQUISITION, DISCOVERY, AND APPLICATION OF
KNOWLEDGE.............................................................................................................12
CRITERION FIVE: ENGAGEMENT AND SERVICE. .................................................14
V. STATEMENT OF AFFILIATION STATUS .................................................................15
VI. ADDITIONAL COMMENTS AND EXPLANATIONS .................................................17
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I. CONTEXT AND NATURE OF VISIT
A. Purpose of Visit
This visit was conducted as a comprehensive visit for continued accreditation at Tulsa
Community College (TCC), a comprehensive public institution of higher education
B. Organizational Context
TCC is a mature urban multi-campus institution located in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Established
in 1970, the college has grown to serve the metropolitan area with transfer, career,
technical and developmental education as well as various workforce training programs.
C. Unique Aspects of Visit
The team visited two of the college’s four campuses; inclement weather prevented
additional campus visits. The college was closed on the second and third day of the visit
although the team was on site at the Southeast campus and did visit with college staff,
faculty, select council members, self-study coordinators and others who came to campus
for scheduled interviews. The team included an experienced SACS consultant-evaluator
who complemented the visiting team and brought new insights and experiences to bear.
D. Sites or Branch Campuses Visited
Team members visited the college’s Southeast and Metro campuses; at both campuses,
members toured facilities and held meetings with students, staff, and faculty. An open
meeting with college administrators below the cabinet level was held at the Southeast
campus.
E. Distance Education Reviewed
Programs and services in distance education were reviewed as a part of the
comprehensive visit; the college had received a focused visit culminating in approval to
offer full degree programs online in 2004. Since this approval, the college has
developed the capacity for students to earn a number of certificates and degrees online
and has goals to increase its online offerings and programs, both to grow its enrollment
and to address the needs of identified populations.
Students report satisfaction with and confirmed the rigor of current online courses.
Headed by the Dean of Distance Learning, this office provides support for faculty
interested in designing and offering online courses. Predominantly full-time faculty
teach TCC online courses, and both faculty and administrators recognize this as a
potential barrier to planned growth. Work on a new Intellectual Property policy will also
be critical to expanded offerings, and the faculty indicated that they had a very active
role in drafting a proposal.
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The college utilizes Blackboard Enterprise for its course management system and this
system is capable of supporting the anticipated growth; completion of the SunGard
Banner student system should provide seamless interaction between both systems.
The Distance Learning program will be greatly augmented by the opening of the Center
for Creativity later this year. Interviews, facilities toured, and documents reviewed
before and during the site visit indicate that the college has made the necessary
investment in infrastructure to meet current and future goals.
F. Interactions with Constituencies
Associate Vice President of Human Resources
Acting Associate Vice President for Student Affairs
Associate Vice President for Student Affairs
Director of Financial Aid
Artistic Director Performing Arts Institute
Associate Dean Allied Health
Acting Associate Dean Nursing Program
Executive Vice President and CFO
President
Students at Metro/Southeast Campus
Staff at Metro/Southeast Campus
Faculty at Metro/Southeast Campus
Provosts at all Campuses
Academic Vice President
Acting Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs
Board of Regents
Learning and Instructional Designers
Distance Learning Committee – including online faculty
Provosts
Interim Chief Technology Officer
Telecommunications Supervisor
Dean, Distance Learning
Dean, Student Services-Southeast Campus
Institutional Effectiveness Committee
Dean of Workforce Development
Dean of University Transfer
Dean of Student Services – Metro Campus
Media/ITV Manager
President’s Cabinet
Self-Study Chairs
Associate Deans
Group meeting with Administrators
Group meeting with students Conference Call, Advisory Committee Members
Director, Academic and Campus Services (ACS), Northeast Campus
Director, Institutional Research
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Group meeting, Institutional Effectiveness Council and Achieving the Dream Committee
(administrators and faculty)
Dean of Learning Resources Center
Campus Police Officers
Director of Campus Police
Vice President for External Affairs
Allied Health Faculty Members
Community business and service representatives phone conference.
Librarian
Bookstore Manager
Bookstore clerk
Custodian
Food service clerk
G. Principal Documents, Materials, and Web Pages Reviewed
1999 NCA visit report
2003 Request for Institutional Change – online degrees (Resource Room)
2004 Computer Efficiency
2004 HLC Report of a focus visit
2006 Effective Communications
2008 Class Schedule
2008 Engaged Learning
Achieving the Dream (Website, data, articles)
Achieving the Dream Score Card (Resource Room)
Annual Financial Audit Reports – 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 (RR 145)
Annual Planning and Budget Forms (RR 149)
Annual Technology Program Plan (Online Resource Room)
Articulation agreement examples (RR 138)
Assessment – Discipline Goals / Program Competencies
Assessment Academy Application
Auditor Report, June 2007
bb.tulsacc.edu (online courses)
College Catalog
Connection, issue 410, v56 (2)
Convocation speech by Pres. McKeon
Credits, Program Length, and Tuition (RR 142)
Curriculum Committee Handbook and minutes
Discipline Goal/Program Competency Assessment
Discipline Self-Study Reports
Diversity Council Charter
Diversity Council Five-Year Plan Fall 2007
Diversity Dialog Mission Statement
Diversity Stats
Educational and General Budgets – 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2008 (RR 146)
Faculty Appraisal Form
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Faculty Association Minutes
Faculty Handbooks – full and part-time
Faculty Innovation Grants Awarded 2001-2009 (Online Resource Room)
Financial Records Summary Reports (RR 148)
Financial Statements June 30, 2008 and 2007
First Stop Project Plan
Full Time and Part time Faculty Human Resources Files
Full time teaching load matrix
General Ledger by Account – July 2004 through September 2008 (RR 148)
Goals and Competencies by Discipline/Program Fall 2007
Institutional agreement examples (RR139)
Institutional Data file #205
Institutional Snapshot; Institutional Data; Organization Chart
IR Web site (assessment.tulsacc.edu/IRAWeb)
IT Tactical Plan
LRC Mission
LRC Policy Notebook
Marketing Surveys
Online Courses, random, total of 5
Planning_and_Budgeting_Business_Process_Transformation_Step1_Team Report
(Online Resource Room)
Policies, Practices, and Procedures Handbook for:
Full time Professional Staff
Full time staff handbook
Part time Instructors
Part time staff handbook
Previous comprehensive accreditation reports, including focus visit (2004)
Process and Criteria for Using Student Activities Funds
Public Disclosure Documents (Cleary, FERPA, HLC affiliation) (RR 143A)
Roster of all Faculty Teaching Assignments, Fall 2008 and Spring 2009
Salary schedules
Sample Transcripts
Self-Study
Self-Study addendum
Spring 2009 Course Schedule
Staff Development Policies
Student Compliant Log (RR 143B)
Student Newspaper
Student Policy and Resources Handbooks
Student Service Benchmarking Taskforce Report and Recommendations
Student Services and Activities
Survey Report on Leadership 101
Syllabi for On-line Courses
Syllabi for Regular Classes
TA Task Force Meeting 5-21-2008 – Criterion 2
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TCC Board of Regents Policy Manual (RR 102A)
TCC Connection Newspaper
TCC Course Catalog
TCC Faculty Association Constitution (RR 101A)
TCC Information Technology Strategic Plan (RR 150A)
TCC Newsbytes electronic newsletter
TCC Organization Chart Jan 2009
Technology Master_Plan_2005 (Online Resource Room)
Technology Plan (Online Resource Room)
The Eighth Floor Spring 2009 Course Catalog
Third Party Comment Notices and Comments received (RR 144)
Title III documents (RR 140)
Title IV and Default management plan (RR 141)
TJC(TCC) Charter and Original Accreditation Legislation (RR 100)
Subjective Metrics site - http://www.subjectivemetrics.com/index.cfm
TCC Assessment Site - http://assessment.tulsacc.edu/IRAWeb/
TCC Web site - http://www.tulsacc.edu/
TCC’s Learning Resources web site – http://lrc.tulsacc.edu
TCC’s Lotus Notes site – http://notes.tulsa.cc.ok.us
Vision 2025 (www.vision2025.info/page.php?page=aboutvision2025)
II. COMMITMENT TO PEER REVIEW
A. Comprehensiveness of the Self-Study Process
The team found the self-study document to be a well-written and comprehensive
document. The college’s self-study process involved all constituent groups and
campuses of the college. The team had access to many additional documents in
electronic form to assist their preparation. Access to documents, websites and online
courses was particularly helpful to the team.
B. Integrity of the Self-Study Report
The self-study report accurately reflected the state of the institution, its practices and
policies. The report was candid, descriptive and evaluative even as the college
objectively critiqued its operations and conduct. In some cases where the college
identified opportunities for improvement there have already been efforts to improve.
C. Adequacy of Progress in Addressing Previously Identified Challenges
The institution has responded to all previously identified challenges. However, the team
notes that the college still faces some of these same issues now, due to very different
circumstances. The issues of concern, communication and organizational structure and
assessment, are addressed in the body of this report.
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D. Notification of Evaluation Visit and Solicitation of Third-Party Comment
Requirements were fulfilled
III. COMPLIANCE WITH FEDERAL REQUIREMENTS
The team reviewed the required Title IV compliance areas and student complaint information.
All materials were in order and no areas of concern are noted.
IV. FULFILLMENT OF THE CRITERIA
CRITERION ONE: MISSION AND INTEGRITY.
The organization operates with integrity to ensure the fulfillment of its mission through
structures and processes that involve the board, administration, faculty, staff, and students.
1. Evidence that Core Components are met.
a) Recent review and re-statement of the college’s vision mission and values statement
has already served to reinforce the college’s new direction of “one college” intended
to eliminate internal competition and instill a sense of common purpose across the
institution. TCC’s mission statement is prominently displayed throughout the college,
serving as a reminder to employees and the public at-large of the college’s mission.
Interviews confirmed that the mission is embraced by both internal and external
constituencies aiding in the success of accomplishing the goals of the institution.
b) The recently signed agreement among the president, Faculty Association and the
College Staff Council regarding shared governance is a notable accomplishment that
underscores the collective interest at the college to move forward positively on the
college’s mission while acknowledging differences in perception. The team
recognizes that the college will still debate various issues but is moving beyond
previously identified barriers.
c) A committed Board of Regents devotes its time and talents to support the mission of
TCC. Their support as advocates for the institution is increasing the visibility of TCC
as an institution of higher learning in the community.
d) Advisory Board members actively contribute to TCC’s occupational programs to keep
the curriculum current and to ensure that the curriculum meets the workforce needs
of the community.
e) TCC’s comprehensive online course offerings provide opportunities for place bound
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students and thus expand the mission of the institution beyond physical boundaries
of the campus locations.
f) TCC responds rapidly to the expressed needs of the community (e.g., the creation of
the resource center for veterans). This ability to respond to the needs of the
community serves to make TCC a community focal point.
g) The development of First Stop Centers is designed to streamline and improve
student services and provide consistency of information so as to help TCC better
achieve its mission and goals.
h) The existing partnerships with public agencies, not-for-profit organizations, local
school districts, and private businesses aid TCC in both publicizing and
accomplishing its mission and goals.
i) TCC’s human resources provide polices, practices and procedure handbooks for
each of the various staffing units for the mutual benefit of individuals and the
institution. Handbooks provide clarity for employees in terms of organization,
general policies and procedures, salary, and benefits. Such handbooks and
materials are available in electronic form via TCC’s portal “MyTCC.”
2. Evidence that one or more specified Core Components need organizational
attention
a) Recent changes in the college’s administrative structure combined with new hires in
the executive ranks have left some uncertainty in the mid-management ranks as to
extent of authority or the appropriate channels for reporting and making requests.
Though different efforts have been undertaken to improve the situation, difficulties
persist. TCC needs to assess the effectiveness of the administrative reorganization
in terms of its impact on its own identified problems of internal communication. TCC
needs to determine if the changes effected in organizational structure are
accomplishing the intended purposes. The team perceives that the college’s issues
in administrative structure and communication are related.
b) Conversations with internal constituents confirmed the Self-Study findings that
internal communication at TCC was uneven and at times this inhibited the ability of
staff to serve students adequately. TCC needs to develop internal mechanisms to
improve communication at all levels in the institution. Failure to improve internal
communication especially on developing initiatives, will compromise services to all
stakeholders.
c) The absence of comprehensive faculty evaluations (full-time and part-time)
conducted by supervisors through class visits, review of student evaluations, etc.
compromises the college’s ability to fulfill its obligation to maintain and strengthen
quality. The college has not created a formal process evaluating part-time and fulltime faculty teaching effectiveness.
3. Evidence that one or more specified Core Components require Commission
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follow-up.
4. Evidence that one or more specified Core Components are not met and require
Commission follow-up. (Sanction or adverse action may be warranted.)
Recommendation of the Team
Criterion is met; no Commission follow up recommended.
CRITERION TWO: PREPARING FOR THE FUTURE.
The organization’s allocation of resources and its processes for evaluation and planning
demonstrate its capacity to fulfill its mission, improve the quality of its education, and
respond to future challenges and opportunities.
1. Evidence that Core Components are met
a) TCC’s effort to provide increased access to higher education through the Tulsa
Achieves initiative serves the community and is forward thinking. This effort has
increased community awareness of the mission of TCC and can only have a positive
impact in the community.
b) The decision to participate in the Achieving the Dream program will aid the college in
analyzing data and using data to make decisions for future planning efforts.
c) TCC has adequate financial resources to support current operations and fund future
development of programs and facilities; prudent management will allow the institution
to continue to improve programs and services.
d) Active program advisory councils comprised of professionals from various fields
provide advice on future trends to aid TCC in planning for curriculum improvements;
this participation helps TCC meet the workforce needs of Tulsa County.
e) The recent lease agreement of computer equipment with Dell will allow TCC to
replace computer equipment on a regular schedule while eliminating the high
disposal costs, thereby lowering the college’s environmental impact, and providing
the latest technology for teaching and learning.
f) Institutional planning occurs at many different levels involving internal constituents
from across the college. Recent planning efforts support the institution’s move to
increased shared governance.
g) The annual budget planning process secures input from faculty and staff and then
through the administrative structure. Stakeholder input is gathered and prioritized for
the allocation of available resources.
h) The new Center for Creativity located on the Metro Campus will provide new learning
opportunities for students throughout the college with facilities for teaching arts,
multimedia communications, and journalism.
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i)
In preparing for growth and improved services to employees and students, TCC is
replacing its business systems, human resources, finances, and student services,
with the SunGard Banner system. This change will provide “enhanced self-service”
opportunities to students and employees and improve business process efficiency.
Additionally, to help support students and employees with these changes, the
college has established a Help Desk which has already served to reduce frustrations.
j) A significant investment has been made in updating existing facilities and building
new facilities, such as the new Health Sciences and Biotechnology Learning Center.
These new facilities increase learning opportunities that integrate technology for
students in Nursing and Allied Health programs, support the implementation of new
academic programs such as Biotechnology, and provide opportunities for new
educational partnerships with local high schools for teacher technology training and
enrichment activities for high school students.
k) Good financial planning and fiscal management practices are evident in the strong
fiscal position of TCC as reflected in the reports of the external audits. The financial
strength of the TCC will allow it to continue to fulfill its mission well into the future.
l) The Student Recruitment Office measures effectiveness of its efforts to shepherd
students from their initial contact with TCC through to enrollment. The office tracks
its progress with weekly reports on recruitment. TCC is able to tally the number of
students who are asking for information about the college then monitor and track
students through the registration. Results are then used to improve the contact
management system.
m) Significant accomplishments have been made in the area of student support
services. The “First Stop” model at the Northeast, Metro and West campuses has
provided students with a menu of enrollment and support services giving them a
streamlined enrollment experience of admission, registration, financial aid and more.
2.
Evidence that one or more specified Core Components need organizational
attention
a) The survey data collected from students participating in the Tulsa Achieves Program
needs to be used to strengthen the program through increased staff knowledge,
improved service in financial aid, and most importantly in developing a system of
consistent information to students.
b) Although the college has developed a participatory budget process, there is a lack of
a feedback loop that informs internal constituents of the decision making priorities
used to fund various projects and defer funding of others. The lack of this feedback
loop may result in fewer individuals participating in the process, thereby frustrating
TCC’s efforts to move to shared governance through improved communication.
3.
Evidence that one or more specified Core Components require Commission
follow-up.
a) The college gathers planning information from various sources including campus
Provosts, various councils, associate deans, and others. These individual unit plans,
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however, are not merged into an overall strategic plan that sets the priorities for the
college in its three to five year planning cycle. These plans are not tied to future
budget planning needs and recent cycles have left internal stakeholders with a sense
of wasted time and effort. The college needs to develop a system to integrate these
individual documents into an overall blueprint for the future while also defining how it
will disseminate strategic planning information, who the pertinent membership is for
the planning team and how the topic of planning will regularly be addressed by the
college in annual cycles of budgeting and updating of the document. Important
changes in this arena should simultaneously contribute to improved communication
overall.
4. Evidence that one or more specified Core Components are not met and require
Commission follow-up. (Sanction or adverse action may be warranted.)
Recommendation of the Team
Criterion is met; Commission follow up recommended. (Progress Report due by April
2, 2012)
CRITERION THREE: STUDENT LEARNING AND EFFECTIVE TEACHING.
The organization provides evidence of student learning and teaching effectiveness that
demonstrates it is fulfilling its educational mission.
1. Evidence that Core Components are met.
a) TCC has demonstrated its commitment to creating an effective learning environment
through its continued support of current and new instructional technology and
learning spaces such as the new Health Sciences & Biotechnology Learning Center,
the Math & Science Building at West Campus, and the Center for Creativity. The
TCC facilities toured and interviews with key support staff, administration, faculty and
students indicated the value of modern facilities and equipment to instruction. The
learning environments created and maintained at TCC are generally state-of-the-art
and provide students with every opportunity to prepare themselves for the university
learning environment upon transfer or the work place.
b) To encourage the development of self-awareness and greater understanding of
students’ relationship to the world and its people, the General Education goals of
civic responsibility and global awareness were incorporated into a new goal:
engaged learning. This change required involvement from TCC’s faculty, students
and administrators demonstrating concern for student learning and program
improvements at the course level.
c) One example of Tulsa Community College’s committed to the creation of effective
learning environments can be found in its distance learning program. TCC’s Self-
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d)
e)
f)
g)
h)
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Study provided an overview of faculty training, learning support, and student service
infrastructure needed for an effective online program. The online course sites and
support service links reviewed by team members, interviews of students, staff and
faculty, and the imminent opening of the new Center for Creativity demonstrated that
TCC is well-positioned and has planned appropriately for the future.
TCC supports student learning and effective teaching through the range of services
and resources provided by the Learning Resource Center at each campus. The
range of physical and electronic services – including the new digital video resources
– is a clear asset for all students and faculty.
The state-of-the-art laboratories at TCC provide student learning environments that
are nearly equivalent to the work spaces they will encounter upon graduation.
Faculty teach in real world environments and has access to the resources needed to
meet their instructional goals.
In interviews and satisfaction surveys, students say that they have been consistently
pleased with the degree of knowledge the faculty hold and are able to convey.
Students told the visiting team that they have had positive experiences with both fulltime and part-time faculty members. Students note that they connect with faculty
members easily outside of class for consultation.
Interviews with faculty and staff and a visual inspection of the TCC facilities
substantiate that the college is committed and is supportive of the utilization of
technology in the classroom. Consistently, classrooms are equipped with the
necessary multimedia hardware and software required to enhance effective learning
environments for students. Faculty and staff are please with the level of support
from the college that is provided to implement technology in the classroom.
Additionally, faculty members stated that they had participated in developing labs
and special use rooms and are excited about using these spaces for their classes.
Student Activities Offices at all four campuses host several activities, events and
programs to foster student development and success. Additionally, students are
encouraged to plan and facilitate student led workshops.
2. Evidence that one or more specified Core Components need organizational
attention
3. Evidence that one or more specified Core Components require Commission
follow-up.
a) The absence of measurable program and learning outcomes assessment is a barrier
to making effective assessment of student learning possible. Without the
implementation of an intentional, systematic, and overarching assessment plan, the
college will be unable to evaluate the acquisition of learning outcomes by the
conclusion of the students' program of studies. The college should measure, through
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all delivery methods (face-to-face, distance learning, etc.) the degree to which the
student learning outcomes have been achieved upon completion of a student’s
program.
b) Currently, TCC’s assessment of student learning is focused on course-embedded
assessments managed by individual faculty though it is clear that this approach is
not taking place regularly in classroom-based instruction; it is unclear whether it is
taking place in online instruction. Assessment expectations for online and other
distance instruction delivery formats needs to be defined clearly conducted by
faculty and managed within the larger assessment plan of measuring the
achievement of learning outcomes. Similarly, distance education needs to collect
and examine feedback on student services and support.
c) The team recognizes that the college is an active participant in the HLC
Assessment Academy. The team’s observations cited above are offered to assist
TCC in better understanding the issues that need attention and improvement so
that Academy activities might be optimally focused to position the college to
accomplish its goals in assessment.
4. Evidence that one or more specified Core Components are not met and require
Commission follow-up. (Sanction or adverse action may be warranted.)
Recommendation of the Team
Criterion is met; no Commission follow up recommended.
CRITERION FOUR: ACQUISITION, DISCOVERY, AND APPLICATION OF
KNOWLEDGE.
The organization promotes a life of learning for its faculty, administration, staff, and students
by fostering and supporting inquiry, creativity, practice, and social responsibility in ways
consistent with its mission.
1. Evidence that Core Components are met.
a) TCC offers a variety of formal and informal learning experiences for its
constituencies. The college's policies, procedures, and training opportunities
promote inquiry, creativity, and social responsibility for its students, faculty, and staff.
Specifically, the college makes available professional development programs such
as the Academy for Teaching Excellence for new faculty, a sabbatical leave policy
for faculty and administrators, the Leadership Development Academy, the Staff,
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b)
c)
d)
e)
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Professional, and Organizational Development (SPOD) classes, opportunities for
travel to conferences, the Planned Academic Studies/Developmental Leave for
faculty and administrators, course tuition waivers for TCC courses, and technologyoriented training such as "The Eighth Floor" and Soft Skill classes. Faculty members
also organize informal learning programs, such as reading clubs on various
campuses, and discussion meetings on and off-campus. In addition to classroom
experiences, TCC also offers students other educational opportunities. Through the
Student Activities Office, students can request funds for special projects to travel to
local, state, or national events, such as the annual conferences of the National
Collegiate Honors Council, in addition to participation in more than sixty-five student
organizations, student activities, and study abroad opportunities. Many students
have taken advantage of both conference and national competition opportunities with
the college. Faculty and staff try to emphasize to students how these experiences
fulfill both the college’s mission and its general education objectives.
TCC has agreed upon four college-wide general education goals to be taught and
assessed throughout each student's program of study as well as through cocurricular activities. The college is working on a comprehensive assessment plan
that will ensure that the four college-wide goals as well as the program objectives are
being acquired by TCC students. Students are provided with support and
encouragement to exercise their intellectual curiosity while providing a rich cultural
environment that reinforces their place in a global society. Support is provided by
various tutoring opportunities, the Learning Resources Center, and faculty mentors.
The college is still in the process of developing a systematic assessment of the
usefulness of its curricula. Participation in programs such as Achieving the Dream,
Tulsa Achieves, and the HLC Academy for the Assessment of Student Learning is
indicative of TCC's commitment to support faculty, students, and staff to acquire,
discover, and apply knowledge responsibly.
Through the Learning Resource Center (LRC), TCC students have access to a
wealth of online and print source material in support of college-level research.
The team found that TCC values and supports effective teaching by implementing
uniform and improved procedures in hiring, offering competitive salaries, recognizing
excellent teaching publicly and financially by offering teaching awards and by
promoting professional development opportunities.
2. Evidence that one or more specified Core Components need organizational
attention
3. Evidence that one or more specified Core Components require Commission
follow-up.
4. Evidence that one or more specified Core Components are not met and require
Commission follow-up. (Sanction or adverse action may be warranted.)
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Recommendation of the Team
Criterion is met; no Commission follow up recommended.
CRITERION FIVE: ENGAGEMENT AND SERVICE.
As called for by its mission, the organization identifies its constituencies and serves them in
ways both value.
1. Evidence that Core Components are met
a) Community members verbalized -- with enthusiasm -- that the organization's
outreach responds to identified community needs. In reviewing copies of surveys to
alumni and programs developed in response to identified needs (Veterans Services,
Hospitality & Gaming, Biotechnology), it is clear that TCC is a valued asset in the
Tulsa community.
b) Many formal and informal opportunities exist to forge communication between Tulsa
Community College and the community. Faculty, staff, and administration actively
participate in community service organizations, boards, and schools.
c) The introduction of the Tulsa Achieves initiative whereby high school students are
guaranteed access to higher education for two years at no cost was an effort the
college put forth recognizing the need in its community stakeholders. In conjunction
with Tulsa Achieves, students who need assistance for textbooks can obtain
assistance through the TCC Foundation Text Book Trust.
d) TCC demonstrated its value to local constituencies through special programs and
services exemplified by the Performing Arts Center for Education (PACE), the range
of music/arts outreach initiatives at local schools, and its partnership with Tulsa Tech
leading to the “Eighth Floor” faculty training facility. The importance of these
contributions was reinforced through interviews with members of the Board of
Regents and community leadership.
e) Interviews with students and community leaders revealed that Tulsa Community
College responds to their needs to have alternative delivery methods for courses
and programs. The significant growth of online courses and programs provides
access to courses for students with work and/or life schedules incompatible with the
traditional academic calendar.
f) The TCC Foundation, with support from the local community, demonstrates the
active involvement of the community in providing funds to furnish and acquire the
necessary technology for the Health Sciences and Biotechnology Learning Center.
g) The decision to create a Dean of Diversity and Civic Engagement coupled with
TCC’s willingness to support/host programs such as the TCC/NAACP Youth Helping
Youth leadership conference, Hispanic Outreach Program, and the Day of Vision
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illustrates how TCC both learns from its constituencies and has the capacity to serve
those needs. Information provided in the Self-Study and links to local media articles
praising TCC for these and more initiatives were reinforced by letters of support and
recognition from local organizations and in conversations with community leaders.
The college’s support for these initiatives demonstrates that it is more than an
educational resource to the Tulsa community.
h) TCC utilizes both internal (PACE) and external (benchmarking survey and prospect
tracking) measures to identify needed services and the college plans to implement
the Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE). These efforts are
evidence that the college seeks to learn from its colleagues and constituents. A
Student Services Benchmarking Task Force is responsible for researching best
practices in operational procedures and processes by comparing TCC’s operations
to those of neighboring colleges and universities in the areas of admissions,
registration, advisement, assessment, recordkeeping and international student
services. Recommendations made by the members will support the college’s goal of
providing students with the most effective learning environments while demonstrating
“best practices” in operational procedures and processes. New initiatives, such as
Every Encounter Counts, are the results of such self-analysis, and the college has
shown it is willing to continue examining how to better serve its constituencies
through self-examination.
2.
Evidence that one or more specified Core Components need organizational
attention
3.
Evidence that one or more specified Core Components require Commission
follow-up.
4.
Evidence that one or more specified Core Components are not met and require
Commission follow-up. (Sanction or adverse action may be warranted.)
Recommendation of the Team
Criterion is met; no Commission follow up recommended.
V. STATEMENT OF AFFILIATION STATUS
A. Affiliation Status: Accredited
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B. Nature of Organization
1. Legal status: Public, not-for-profit
2. Degrees awarded: Associate degree
C. Conditions of Affiliation
1. Stipulation on affiliation status-None
2. Approval of degree sites- Prior Commission approval required
3. Approval of distance education degree-No prior approval required
4. Reports required
Progress Report
Topic(s) and Due Date: April 2, 2012 regarding Strategic Planning
TCC will report on its efforts to create a Strategic Planning document and system
that at minimum will define the planning group’s membership, planning cycles, the
conduct of annual reports and updates to the Strategic Plan, the plan’s link to the
budget and the methodology the college has chosen to disseminate this information
to the college at-large.
Rationale and Expectations
The team does not see that the college has a strategic plan or planning process in
place. The team acknowledges that the college does have a variety of planning
efforts across its campuses and councils but the lack of a synthesized plan clearly
articulated to the college is absent. Currently, planning is not transparently linked to
the budgeting process. Lastly, how the college updates or amends the strategic plan
is not understood. The planning culture at TCC is unit-based and campus-based and
though these pieces are needed, college stakeholders cannot see the overarching
strategic plan and direction for the college but only fragments. TCC recognizes the
need to create an institutional perspective that employees can embrace and
understand. TCC needs a strategic plan that assesses internal and external
environments, interprets the information, develops a direction and measures
progress while creating a culture of data-driven decisions.
Monitoring Report- None
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Contingency Report- None
5. Other visits scheduled-None
6. Organization change request-None
D. Commission Sanction or Adverse Action
On Notice-None
Probation-None
Denial or Withdrawal of Status-None
E. Summary of Commission Review
Timing for next comprehensive visit: 2018-2019
Rationale for recommendation:
Tulsa Community College demonstrated to the visiting team that it fulfills the criteria
for accreditation and has the talent, planning and policies necessary to manage the
human, financial and physical resources required to move the college forward. TCC
enjoys strong board and community support for the important role that it plays in the
workforce and economic development of the city. TCC is stable financially, has
excellent physical resources and despite organizational changes that have caused
internal stress is mature and capable of moving through the changes, addressing
issues competently while focusing on its core mission.
VI. ADDITIONAL COMMENTS AND EXPLANATIONS
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ADVANCEMENT SECTION
REPORT OF A COMPREHENSIVE EVALUATION VISIT
TO
Tulsa Community College
Tulsa, Oklahoma
January 26-28, 2009
FOR
The Higher Learning Commission
A Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools
EVALUATION TEAM
Dr. Marty Bachman, Department Chair/Program Director, Front Range Community College, Fort
Collins, Colorado 80526
Dr. Norma Goonen, Provost for Academic and Student Affairs, Miami Dade College, Davie,
Florida 33331
Dr. Charles Guengerich, President, City Colleges of Chicago-Wilbur Wright College, Chicago,
Illinois 60634
Dr. Leo Hirner, Director-Distance Education Services, Metropolitan Community College, Kansas
City, Missouri 64111
Ms. Kathie House, Program Coordinator for Cooperative Education and Internship, Oakland
Community College, Detroit, Michigan 48221
Mr. David McShane, CIO/Vice President Information Technology, William Rainey Harper
College, Palatine, Illinois 60067
Mr. James Ratliff, Librarian, Kalamazoo Valley Community College, Kalamazoo, Michigan
49003
Dr. Susan Murphy, Vice President for External Affairs, Central New Mexico Community College.
Albuquerque, New Mexico, 87106
Advancement Section
Tulsa Community College/1101
Contents
I.
Overall Observations about the Organization
Tulsa Community College has undergone significant organizational changes in the
recent past. The installation of a new president, the retirement or departure of a
number of key personnel, the adoption of new initiatives and the re-organization of the
college’s administrative structure have created a new feel for the college overall.
These changes have set the stage for a paradigm shift within the college as new
ideas and approaches are explored. These changes notwithstanding, this urban multicampus college is mature and stable with a keen focus on its mission. Supported by a
community-based Board of Regents, TCC enjoys exceptional physical resources
across its four campuses and skilled financial management ensuring its future.
II.
Consultations of the Team
A.
Organizational Structure/Communication
Over the past several years many organizational and key personnel changes have
taken place at TCC. Accompanying these changes have been significant new
initiatives for the college including the implementation of shared governance, redesigned budgeting processes, Tulsa Achieves, First Stop, Every Encounter Counts,
and Achieving the Dream. However, the organizational changes, targeted to advance
the college and to better serve students, actually are playing a role in the institution’s
concern, acknowledged in the self-study, about a breakdown of the horizontal and the
vertical communication chain within the organization.
Exchanges during meetings with some groups and interviews with individual TCC
employees convinced the team that there is confusion regarding how communication
is expected to flow and how responsibilities for staff have changed in the new
organizational structure. Meetings with students confirmed the team’s perception that
this issue must be addressed. Students indicated that front line employees seem illinformed causing students to be sent from place to place seeking accurate
information. The team is concerned that unresolved internal communications during
this culture shift due chiefly to organizational changes, will negatively impact the
college’s new initiatives.
The college needs to examine the impact of the recent elimination of the campus
Dean of Instruction position on the vertical communication chain. It is not yet clear
how communication occurs at the campus through the duties reassigned to Campus
Provosts and Associate Deans. The college should pursue a discussion about intracampus communication with an approach that is something other than “trickle down
communication” seeking a more proactive role of making sure every employee full
and part-time has the necessary information to serve students with confidence and
excellence.
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Each campus might consider having an individual assigned the role of
communications contact to coordinate the dissemination of accurate and timely
information at each campus and to off-campus partner sites. There are many possible
approaches and potential solutions; the team’s interest on behalf of the college is that
the issue receive time and attention from college membership with insight in order to
improve communication overall on the campus.
Additionally, the college should consider more frequent use of its intranet site that
gives information updates to employee groups (full and part-time) across the
institution. During the visit, TCC displayed its effective use of the internet to
communicate campus closing information to all constituencies; that same use of
technology could be used to promote internal communication even more assertively.
Employees may need to be encouraged to check online information for new programs
and initiatives, updates of previous projects, information on college events, and other
items that help faculty and more importantly front-line staff members serve students.
Training is another key to effective institutional communication. In meeting with both
support staff and with students, the issue of adequate training of part-time employees
was raised. Both groups perceived that not enough investment was made in training
and communicating with part-time employees (including work study students) in areas
related to college information in general or in specialty information related to the office
where they were assigned. Students referred to the front-line staff in the “First Stop
Centers” as the workers “in front of the glass wall” and stated that they often did not
receive accurate information from the first individual they encountered. The students
do not experience that the “Every Encounter Counts” initiative is working.
Staff perceived that the college has not taken the time necessary to train employees,
especially part-time employees. The team suggests that TCC work on employee
training programs for all employees. Managers indicated that training did not occur
because of frequent part-time employee turnover. A possible correlation exists
between part-time employees who do not feel qualified or empowered to do the job
and quit out of frustration, thus, creating the staff turnover problem. Additionally, parttime staff stated that they do not have college assigned e-mail addresses. The team
later came to understand that they do have access through a portal but this approach
is not proving effective. E-mail is an effective way to communicate with all employees
with new information on programs, policies, and procedures. TCC should investigate
the possibility of providing (or collecting) e-mail address of all part-time employees for
efficient and effective communication to this constituency. If the Every Encounter
Counts initiative is to work, then employees must have the information necessary to
serve students.
The team noted conflicting published information at TCC. For example, various flyers
and the website describing the Tulsa Achieves (TA) Program present different
information. One publication states that TA allows for 63 credit hours, another
document states that it allows for 60 credit hours. TCC must ensure a consistency of
information in all of its documents and on its websites. Old flyers and brochures must
be collected and recycled when updated publications are distributed. Removing old
information, especially that in print format, is essential to good internal
communication.
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TCC is a rapidly changing and innovative institution, and for its new programs,
initiatives, policies and ideas to be effectively implemented and communicated to
students and the community at large, the college administration must examine its
internal organizational structures, training policies, and communications to empower
front-line employees to provide the service excellence that the institution seeks to
achieve.
B.
Strategic Planning
During the current president’s four-year tenure, significant strides have been made in
institutional planning. Moreover, his introduction of the “One College” concept
establishes the underpinnings for an institutional focus on Strategic Planning. Having
a multi-campus institution creates challenges in institutional strategic planning that
require a focus on the institution holistically while permitting individual campuses to
focus on their own identities.
Many units have developed planning documents in preparation for the future.
Further, significant investment has been made in securing professional, specialized
consulting expertise to conduct environmental scanning, focus groups and community
surveys to assist TCC in identifying needs and proposing solutions. Underway
during this HLC visit was a survey by the physical plants at each campus to develop a
deferred maintenance plan and a review of each campus security and police
department. These plans provide evidence of direction and purpose that served as a
gauge for day-to-day functions and decision-making regardless of the absence of a
strategic plan. However, these plans should serve as the basis in the development of
an institutional strategic plan. It is evident that many initiatives and various planning
efforts are underway, and it is important that these planning activities and documents
are brought under the broader umbrella of the institution’s needs and priorities and
communicated appropriately to the college’s internal constituents.
In various group meetings and in discussion with individual employees concerns were
raised as to the perceived lack of involvement in overall strategic planning and more
succinctly in strategic initiatives that were implemented with little or no input or
communication leading to employees feeling ineffective in implementing the
initiative(s).
TCC’s priorities and new initiatives are not fully disseminated or understood by the
wider college community. An array of planning documents exists but they fail to
present a coherent statement of direction for the next three to five years and beyond.
Most of these documents reflect a campus-based approach or program planning in
isolation of the rest of the college. Planning for a “one college” strategy is particularly
challenging when units do not see or understand the larger planning context.
A transparent and inclusive process for developing a Strategic Plan and
formulating the annual budgets has not yet been accomplished. This point of view
was articulated in interviews with various campus groups and through concerns
identified in the Appendix of the Self-Study report. The strategic planning process
needs to be defined and communicated to its internal audience and a concise and
accessible version needs to be widely disseminated to the college community. This
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sharing of the document has the potential to create understanding of the plan in
driving the decision-making process for budget allocations.
Since technology infusion into the fabric of the organization has significantly
transformed the operations of the college, using this vehicle to communicate strategic
planning efforts could improve institutional communication efforts and keep planning
more top of mind, even vital, to the larger community. Regular review and
updating/presentations at college meetings are also advised to keep this effort front
and center.
Overall, the strategic plan and related functional area plans (e.g. Technology,
Academic, Facility Master Plan(s), etc.) should be viewed as living documents, not
static blueprints. Review and updating should occur regularly; moreover, the review
should be completed in sufficient time to permit incorporating planning goals into
annual budgeting process. It is the team’s perception that by pulling together and
aligning the planning processes and documents, including the budgeting processes,
TCC will establish a clearly defined and well-communicated vision.
C.
Assessment
The team is aware of TCC’s participation in the HLC Assessment Academy and offers
the following advice suggesting that the college take a renewed approach to dealing
with its: 1) overall assessment plan and cycle, 2) expectations and requirements of
faculty, 3) desired outcomes for this work and 3) need to invest in training, tools and
data interpretation to make this work successful and meaningful.
The team does not see that the college has made assessment vital and relevant to its
ongoing work. Resistance by faculty, organizational changes and personnel changes
have contributed to create the problem. Although TCC has made significant progress
in its assessment activities since the last accreditation visit in 1999, the institution has
not adequately addressed concerns noted in this area. Although the Institutional
Effectiveness Committee (IEC) has provided the necessary mechanism to oversee
ongoing activities in assessment, the process needs attention and reinvigoration. In
order for the assessment effort to be effective, this work needs to have an office or
individual(s) accountable for process and results; the team does not see that
assessment has a leader and a champion. With an organizational change that would
identify a leader or champion and with the established standing college committee
(IEC) to lead the activities related to assessment, TCC would demonstrate a
systematic commitment to improved student learning and outcomes assessment.
Because of the work already completed on outcomes assessment in a variety of
areas, renewed efforts by the IEC would not require starting over, but the committee
instead would need to refocus and re-align its efforts. Faculty groups understand that
assessment is important, but they need an inspirational leader who will spark their
interest in assessment and the expected improvements that would come from
measuring and studying the achievement of curricular outcomes. The college itself
needs more structure in this effort and the faculty need assurance that the tools and
methods applied to assessment will be a value-added experience.
The team recommends clearly defining educational program goals for all programs to
reduce confusion among college constituencies about the distinctions among program
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goals, general education goals and course objectives. General education, business
and transfer students interviewed had little awareness of learning outcomes or the
assessment of learning. Of 18 students in a session with team members, one student
was able to identify filling out end-of-class evaluations of instructors as the only
assessment-like activity they were aware of. Follow up conversations with students
indicate they are not familiar with learning outcomes or assessment. Faculty can
help address this in their courses by stating the learning outcomes more clearly to
their students and testing accordingly while focusing students’ attention on the
college’s interests on their behalf. TCC would benefit from studying the assessment
of general education at a macro, formalized level. TCC seems good at discussing
this topic, but cross-college discussions over the years have not yet yielded a final
product.
The team recommends that TCC make a greater effort to inform students of the
general education outcomes the college is attempting to instill. Although course
outcomes are sometimes listed in syllabi, the college’s own general education
outcomes for all degree programs were not understood by any of the students
interviewed during the visit. When students are aware of what outcomes are covered
and assessed within their courses and programs, they can more intentionally
participate in their own learning.
Continuing efforts have been made by TCC to document course-embedded
assessment of the four general education outcomes. However, the reporting by
faculty into a database (Assessment Wizard) is voluntary and with less than one third
of the faculty sharing their results, this approach seems ineffective. Some of the
“Assessment Wizard” entries relate to the four general education outcomes, and
some simply assess a course or a program objective. The team suggests that the
college consider the value of a curriculum mapping strategy by
major/program/discipline, and that faculty receive training/professional development in
course-embedded assessment as well as the curriculum mapping initiative and its
value. The curriculum mapping could provide a consistent, systematic, and
overarching look across all courses in each of the majors/programs. TCC would be
able to identify, for each major/program, where the outcomes are taught and
reinforced, and if any gaps exist in the presentation and reinforcement of the
outcomes. In the measures of learning, it is imperative that the college define and
measure at the end of a student’s program, the degree to which the student learning
outcomes have been mastered. Measuring mastery success could be accomplished
by a variety of methods: pre-post testing (at entry and exit points in a student’s
program), capstone courses/experiences, implementation and evaluation of student
e-portfolios, or annual random group testing of the graduating class (most likely a
percentage thereof). Authentic assessment is highly recommended as it involves
practical application of the outcomes to everyday situations and issues. The results of
the annual assessment could then be analyzed, disseminated, and utilized, along with
the results of the curricular mapping, to evaluate the degree to which the present
curricula (and co-curricula) are successful in instilling in students the desired
outcomes.
Additionally, TCC’s Distance Education program needs to consider how it will
participate in assessment of student learning in its online program. The assessment
of student learning in online courses was addressed during the Request for
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Institutional Change application in 2003; however, assessment specific to online and
blended learning must be included in any institutional plan for assessment. Since
TCC is already engaged in embedded assessment projects, the online course data
should be available and could be analyzed by extracting appropriate statistics. A
requirement of regular reporting of assessment results will also serve to ensure that
online faculty members participate.
Assessment is not limited to student learning and some additional planning is needed
for the assessment of online services provided in support of Distance Learning at
TCC. One approach TCC could consider is an online surveying instrument to
electronically collect data about student experiences and recommendations on
services, especially critical services such as the Help Desk and Online Enrollment.
Services such as Survey Monkey or Zoomerang allow for easy development and
delivery of surveys through URLs and/or broadcast e-mails. Sampling student and
faculty feedback on training and services will not only identify what is working or not,
but will also provide insight into how these services are used and what services may
be missing.
D.
Faculty issues:
Credentials Audit
An audit of randomly selected full-time and part-time faculty files revealed that each
contained an original transcript of the highest academic degree attained. However,
when the academic degrees reflected in the transcripts of the seven full-time faculty
files selected were compared with the courses/disciplines they were teaching, three
faculty members did not appear to possess the academic credentials that matched
the disciplines and/or level they were teaching. In one case, a faculty member
teaching Journalism and Mass Communication (transferable courses) had a graduate
degree in Business Administration. In another case, a faculty member without a
Master's degree was teaching transferable Accounting and Business courses, and in
the third case, a faculty member with a Master's in Math/Science Education was
teaching Physics courses. Of the six part-time faculty files reviewed, two prompt
questions. In one case, Speech courses were being taught by a part-time faculty
member without a Master's degree, and in the second case, a person without a
master's degree was teaching Chemistry courses. The hiring official for one of the fulltime faculty members stated that the faculty member had unique experience and
demonstrated competence in the discipline he was teaching. This experience
however was not documented in the file. It is strongly recommended that the
institution document relevant unique experience, demonstrated competence, or
special licensure for each faculty member whose academic preparation does not
strictly match the discipline taught, and for those who lack a graduate degree or
sufficient hours in the liberal arts field in which they are teaching.
Regarding hiring difficulties for science faculty, TCC may want to place job postings in
discipline specific professional publications for future searches and conduct
recruitment efforts at universities outside Oklahoma. Tulsa CC could also investigate
a “grow your own” program supported through professional development and
partnerships with regional institutions.
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Annual Performance Review
Currently faculty are evaluated by their respective associate deans only through
student feedback instruments, i.e., course/instructor evaluations administered at the
end of the course and the annual performance review which includes goals for the
next year. Currently, classroom visits are not a part of annual performance review for
either full-time or part-time faculty. The team sees the class visit as a common and
conventional element of faculty review and believes its absence at TCC contributes to
inadequate communication between faculty and associate deans. The team
recommends the adoption of class visits and further recommends that a joint faculty
and administration committee develop guidelines for how visits could take place and
how the annual review process can be made more substantial and relevant to both
parties. A formal process of evaluating part-time and full-time faculty teaching
effectiveness in the classroom would allow the college to better meet its goal of
strengthening and reinforcing positive teaching methods.
Professional Development
The team noted that the college awards tuition waivers for faculty (and staff) who take
TCC offerings, and provides special training for new faculty (Academy for Teaching
Excellence), and ongoing opportunities for faculty and administrators, such as the
Leadership Development Academy, the SPOD classes, opportunities to travel to
conferences, and technology-oriented training (“The Eighth Floor” and Skill Soft
classes). The college has also recently commenced awarding sabbaticals (half an
academic year at full pay, or a full academic year at half-pay), and a Planned
Academic Studies/ Development Leave (faculty must still teach 8 credit hours per
semester). Although few faculty members have applied for sabbaticals or the
Planned Academic Studies leave, the college expects the number of interested faculty
to grow as more faculty become aware of these opportunities.
Although TCC supports a variety of professional development activities, it does not
defray, even partially, the cost of tuition at an institution outside TCC. In order to
encourage faculty to acquire new/current content knowledge and higher academic
degrees, the team suggests that the college consider defraying or subsidizing
coursework at other institutions of higher education provided the coursework meets
TCC’s needs and approved faculty development goals.
The lack of a tuition assistance program at TCC may in fact hinder developing new
programs or providing faculty incentive to maintain currency in their field. A simple
tuition assistance model could be based upon an equivalent to either of the state
flagship universities. A partial subsidy or reimbursement policy dependent upon final
grades, progress towards a needed degree, or additional education in a program
meeting the needs of the college are all conditions that should be weighed.
In the area of online instruction, the team congratulates TCC on incorporating the
Quality Matter’s (QM) Applying the Rubric course into their Developer Certification.
Now, the team recommends TCC complete the implementation by including the Peer
Review process. The QM Peer Review process is designed to help faculty improve
and re-invigorate their online instruction every 3 to 5 years, ensuring that content and
pedagogy evolve with the medium. QM Peer Reviews are completed by peer faculty
that teach online (at least one content expert and an external representative are
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included), and the goal is to improve online instruction. TCC faculty would be wellserved to experience the honest and constructive feedback of the Peer Review and to
participate as a Reviewer, especially as an external reviewer for other institutions.
Implementing the Peer Review process can be facilitated through a pilot phase where
one or two online faculty leaders submit courses for review, then share their
experiences through Professional Development activities on campus such as
convocation.
Lastly, TCC could benefit from developing a succession plan that would create a
systematic process of identifying critical roles within the institution, assess the
strengths of possible successors and provide them with development opportunities.
E.
Prior Learning
TCC currently awards credit for prior learning for credit by exam, e.g., Advanced
Placement [AP], CLEP, advanced courses (International Baccalaureate [IB]), and up
to 18 credit hours for life experience. However, TCC self-reports that no uniform
process exists for awarding AP, IB, and life experience credit. As to the latter, the
college reports that “sometimes” a portfolio is required of the student. The team
recommends that the college conduct a review of existing AP guidelines and create
its own guidelines for awarding credit for the International Baccalaureate and for Life
Experience. The college’s membership in the Council for Adult and Experiential
Learning (CAEL) will serve them in creating a system for such credit.
III.
Recognition of Significant Accomplishments, Progress, and/or Practices
The team applauds TCC for its creation and funding of the Tulsa Achieves program.
Tulsa Achieves allows for student attendance at TCC tuition-free once all other
avenues prove inadequate. The college’s effort to fund a free college education for
the neediest students merits special mention and recognition.
Secondly, the team would like to commend the TCC security force for their efforts in
allowing the visit to go forward despite the college’s closure and inclement weather.
All of the individuals with whom the team interacted conveyed their genuine concern
for safety while escorting us to sites and assisting in bringing TCC employees to
campus. It is largely due to their assistance that the visit was able to continue.
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