2016-2017

Bates Technical College Institutional Assessment Plan

Table of Contents

About Bates Technical College ...................................................................................................... 1

Institutional Assessment at Bates Technical College ..................................................................... 2

Assessment Focus: Linking the Mission to Mission Fulfillment & Mission Sustainability ........3

Mission Statement ................................................................................................................... 3

Core Themes ............................................................................................................................ 3

Bates’ Core Themes Cross-walked to Mission Statement (Mission Fulfillment) ................... 3

Bates’ Strategic Directions Cross-walked to Core Themes (Mission Sustainability) ............. 3

Bates Technical College Data for Institutional Assessment ........................................................4

Grow new clienteles & programs: ........................................................................................... 4

Increase student achievement: ................................................................................................. 4

Enhance efficiency & expand capacity: .................................................................................. 4

Expand delivery options: ......................................................................................................... 4

Bates Technical College Assessment Committees.......................................................................5

Bates Technical College 2016 -17 Assessment Calendar ............................................................5

Appendix A Bates Technical College Strategic Plan (2016-2022) ................................................ 7

Appendix B Strategic Plan Key Performance Indicators (2015-2016) ........................................... 8

Appendix C 2014 Student Survey Results ...................................................................................... 9

Appendix D 2017 Student Survey Results.................................................................................... 10

Appendix E Department Annual Improvement Plans and Key Indicators (2016-2017) .............. 11

Administrative Services (Available in fall 2016) .................................................................. 11

Communications (Available in fall 2016) ............................................................................. 11

Foundation (Available in fall 2016) ...................................................................................... 11

Human Resources (Available in fall 2016) ........................................................................... 11

Instruction (Available in fall 2016) ....................................................................................... 11

Institutional Effectiveness and Student Success.................................................................... 12

Appendix F Multi-Year Initiative for Student Success ................................................................. 15

Part One: Project Description ................................................................................................ 15

Part Two: Strategies/Indicators* ........................................................................................... 17

Part Three: Timeline .............................................................................................................. 18

Part Four: Project Syllabus .................................................................................................... 19

Appendix G Bates Technical College Program Review Process.................................................. 24

Appendix H Bates Technical College Program Assessment Committee ..................................... 26

Appendix I Bates Technical College Assessment Summary Form .............................................. 32

1

About Bates Technical College

Bates Technical College is celebrating 75 years of service and success. Bates is an

innovator. Vocational training began in Tacoma on Sept. 4, 1940, in the basement of Hawthorne

Elementary School. During the 1941-42 school year, the program became known as the Tacoma

Vocational School.

In 1944 the Tacoma School District hired L. H. (LaVerne Hazen) Bates as the school's director.

The school's name was changed to the Tacoma Vocational-Technical Institute in 1947.

Verne Bates retired from the director's position in 1969. The Tacoma School Board changed the

Institute's name to the L. H. Bates Vocational Technical Institute in honor of Mr. Bates' service

and dedication to the Institute and vocational education.

In 1991, state legislation separated the state's vocational technical institutes from local school

districts and merged them under the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges.

Today, Bates Technical College annually serves approximately 3,000 career training students

and 10,000 more community members on three campuses in programs such as Continuing

Education, Child Studies, High School, General Education and Basic Studies, and others.

Our unique classroom settings mirror the workplace, providing students with opportunities to

practice and develop skills to levels required for successful employment. Bates offers two-year

associate of applied science degrees, certificates of competency, certificates of training, industry

certifications and, in specific programs, prepares students for the achievement of state licensure.

The college maintains articulation degrees with several four-year universities, making some of

the college's two-year degrees transferable.

2

Institutional Assessment at Bates Technical College

Bates Technical College is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and

Universities (NWCCU). Part of being accredited by the NWCCU is that Bates must provide an

overview of our institutional assessment plan for linking/aligning our mission (Standard One)

with and mission fulfillment and sustainability (Standard Five). Bates’ institutional assessment

process includes six (6) areas of interest, and they are:

1. Mission Statement

2. Mission Accomplishment

3. Strategic Plan

4. Mission Statement Elements

5. Mission Fulfillment (Core Themes)

6. Mission Sustainability (Strategic Directions)

3

Assessment Focus: Linking the Mission to Mission Fulfillment & Mission Sustainability

For the 2016 to 2022 Strategic Plan (Appendix A), Bates Technical College is assessing mission

fulfillment through strategic directions that are aligned with our core themes. The strategic

directions cover four areas: grow new clienteles and programs; increase student achievement;

enhance efficiency and capacity; and expand delivery options. For the 2015-16 academic year,

faculty and staff at Bates developed plans with key performance indicators in each of these areas.

The results of those efforts are in Appendix B and will be reviewed for developing new plans for

the 2016-17 academic year. Below, the mission statement is cross-walked with the core themes

and the core themes are cross-walked with our strategic directions. This ensures that the

objectives outlined in our strategic directions achieve both mission fulfillment and mission

sustainability.

Mission Statement

Bates Technical College enriches our diverse communities1 by inspiring student learning

2,

challenging greater achievement3 and educating for employment

4.

Core Themes

Bates Technical College measures mission fulfillment through four strategic core themes.

Workforce Education: We are committed to providing high quality training that helps students

realize their potential for growth and success through innovative instruction.

Student Centered: Bates supports students, enabling them to succeed, to aspire to education, to

reach their goals and transition successfully to further education or employment.

General Education: Bates recognizes that the skills and knowledge attained through general and

related education are essential to success and ensuring well-rounded learners.

Community Relationships: Strong local and global partnerships with business, industry, labor

and the public make the college a respected, effective community resource, contributing to local

community vitality.

Bates’ Strategic Directions Cross-walked to Core Themes (Mission Sustainability)

Grow New Clienteles & Programs (A & D) Increase Student Achievement (B & D) Enhance Efficiency & Expand Capacity (A & B) Expand Delivery Options (A, B & C)

Bates’ Core Themes Cross-walked to Mission Statement (Mission Fulfillment)

A. Workforce Education (1, 2, 3, 4) B. Student Centered (1, 2, 3) C. General Education (1, 2, 3, 4) D. Community Relationships (1, 4)

4

Bates Technical College Data for Institutional Assessment

The following are data, datasets and metrics that are being used to measure the impact of the

plans faculty and staff are developing and implementing. They are grouped by strategy direction.

Grow new clienteles & programs:

Community & student body demographics and socioeconomic status comparisons

Veterans and military enrollment

International enrollment

Under-represented minority enrollment

Enrollment of local area high school graduates

Increase student achievement:

Job Placement

Number of Degrees Awarded

Course Evaluations/Student Input Forms (SIFs)

Student Achievement Initiative (SAI) Points

Student Satisfaction (Bates Satisfaction Survey, CCSSE or RNL Inventory)

Rubric Aligning Course, Program and Institutional SLOs

Program Review

Currently, programs that have achieved or are pursuing programmatic accreditation are

exempt from the program review process. They will, however, have to provide the latest

submission that they made to their accreditor to ensure continuous improvement.

For programs that have not gone through programmatic accreditation, they will follow

the institution’s program review process. Details are in Appendix G.

Multi-Year Initiative for Student Success (Appendix F)

Enhance efficiency & expand capacity:

Fill rates of current programs

Quarter to quarter fill rate comparisons

Expand delivery options:

Number of online courses

Number of online programs

Number of hybrid online/on-ground programs

New facilities and classroom spaces

5

Bates Technical College Assessment Committees

Institutional Level

The purpose of the institutional assessment committee is to identify, gather and discuss data and

information about student learning in the institution. This is a cross-functional committee that is

focused on the entire student experience at Bates Technical College—to ensure that student

learning is supported across the institution. Along with faculty, membership includes

representatives from student services, academic affairs, finance and the president’s direct reports.

Bates Technical College is in the process of forming this committee with the first meeting to take

place in the fall of 2016.

Program Level

In addition to the institutional assessment committee, led by faculty, Bates also formed a

program assessment committee. Please check Appendix H for more information.

Bates Technical College 2016 -17 Assessment Calendar

The assessment cycle is helpful in determining if our indicators and inputs are meaningful to our

measurable outcomes. The mission fulfillment involves multiple departments (e.g. Instruction,

Student Services, Administrative Services, Facilities, and the President and direct reports, which

include: Communications, Foundation, and Human Resources).

Assessment Action Items by Month and Tasks

Month Tasks

July 2016

Create Summary of Programs from 2014 Student Satisfaction Survey

results and distribute to programs/deans; create workshops for

preparation of assessment

August 2016 Focus on Mid-Cycle Report/Visit

August 15 – 26, 2016 Collect responses for 2015-16 strategic plan indicators

August 31, 2016 Compile 2015-16 key performance indicators report and distribute to

faculty/staff

September 1, 2016 Reminder to Faculty

September 5 – 9, 2016 Conduct workshops with functional areas for 2016-17 strategic plans

and indicators

September 12, 2016 Receive responses from all programs/faculty

September 23, 2016 Power Point presentation at all staff day and post plans to website

6

October 24 – 25, 2016 NWCCU – Mid-Cycle Visit

October – March 2017 Departments/Programs are collecting data; Submission of budget

requests that tie in to the strategic plan

April 2017 Conduct 2017 Student Satisfaction Survey -- Likert Scale Survey

May 2017 Receive and review 2017 Student Satisfaction Survey results

May 2017 Receive responses from all programs/faculty

June 2017 Presentations at all staff day (Annual Review)

7

Appendix A Bates Technical College Strategic Plan (2016-2022)

(See separate document)

8

Appendix B Strategic Plan Key Performance Indicators (2015-2016)

(See separate document)

9

Appendix C 2014 Student Survey Results

(See separate document)

10

Appendix D 2017 Student Survey Results

(Not available until 2017)

11

Appendix E Department Annual Improvement Plans and Key Indicators (2016-2017)

Administrative Services (Available in fall 2016)

Communications (Available in fall 2016)

Foundation (Available in fall 2016)

Human Resources (Available in fall 2016)

Instruction (Available in fall 2016)

12

Institutional Effectiveness and Student Success

Annual Plan for Continuous Improvement

Functional Area: Student Services

Academic Year: 2016-17

Initiative: Create a student resource packet

1. Plan: What do you plan on doing differently in your area to better serve students?

Provide comprehensive information on services to new students prior to the fall quarter

start.

2. Implementation: What will you do differently to bring about the improvement you

intended?

Create a student resource packet.

3. Anticipated Evidence: What are your anticipated results?

We expect to improve fall to fall retention of first-time students.

4. Action: How will this change the way you address this intention in the future?

If successful, we will continue to build up pre-quarter start resources and activities.

Applies to the following Strategic Direction in the 2016-2022 Strategic Plan: Goal 2, Objective 7

Functional Area: Student Services

Academic Year: 2016-17

Initiative: Collect exit survey data

1. Plan: What do you plan on doing differently in your area to better serve students?

Gain more knowledge through surveys of student who left Bates before completing a

degree or certificate.

2. Implementation: What will you do differently to bring about the improvement you

intended?

Collect and analyze exit survey data.

3. Anticipated Evidence: What are your anticipated results?

More retained students. Offer better services based on data.

4. Action: How will this change the way you address this intention in the future?

We will be able to work proactively to offer better services in the areas identified by

exiting students.

Applies to the following Strategic Direction in the 2016-2022 Strategic Plan: Goal 2, Objective 1

and Goal 2, Objective 7

13

14

15

Appendix F Multi-Year Initiative for Student Success

In addition to the annual assessment activities at Bates Technical College, a multi-year plan for

student success is being developed. This plan focuses on longer term goals for the college to

increase student success.

EVIDENCE‐BASED INITIATIVE FOR STUDENT SUCCESS

PROJECT PLAN: AUGUST 2016 ‐ AUGUST 2018

Part One: Project Description

Our Story

Bates Technical College was born out of conflict and the desire for independence.

As relationships between vocational education and K-12 dissolved in the political ferment of the

late 1980s, Tacoma established a clear alignment with labor and industry to support a vision for

technical workforce development. Our mission and message was straightforward – “Bates: The

Job School”.

Decades later, our college mission of “Enriching our diverse communities by inspiring student

learning, challenging greater achievement, and educating for employment” illustrates the scope

of our evolution from a Vocational School to an accredited institution of higher learning.

Our traditional student body at Bates consists of adults in transition, taught in an active learning,

lab-based environment. Students expect career-oriented excellence in teaching, learning, and

ultimately, employment. Our students are complex individuals, influenced by a variety of

external and internal variables. Success varies, student-by-student, and frustration is inevitable

when expectations aren’t met.

To address these expectations, the SBCTC and NWCCU have required procedural changes that

have shaken our institution to the core. Although faculty is engaged in the classroom, they have

been frustrated by the bureaucracy associated with change. Administration are engaged in the

organizational process, but have been frustrated by the faculty’s slow adoption of current

standards.

Faced with a mandate for overwhelming change, our administration took the bull by the horns, as

faculty dug in their heels. Non-collaborative process development drove a wedge through faculty

buy-in. This struggle became known as “The Great Clock-hour to Credit Rift.” With progress

inevitable, the current administration and faculty climate at Bates has passed the tipping point in

relation to organizational change and performance outcomes.

Now on the path to recovery, we are slowly and systematically reorganizing at all levels to meet

student, industry, and system wide CTC expectations. Previous competency-based educational

strategies are evolving into credit-based course re-design and instructional strategies.

16

Administration and faculty leaders are embracing the “EduSpeak” of aligning student learning

outcomes and programs of study with educational guidelines and accreditation standards. Our

mutual frustrations (administration, students, and faculty) are aligned as well, which is a

powerful starting place for our campus stakeholders to begin an initiative for achievement. This

two year action plan represents a continuous commitment to improvement for student success.

Defining the Problem

In the classroom, we know that clear teacher expectations based upon learning outcomes lead to

better student engagement. To be successful, instructors and students both need to work to

achieve specific outcomes. However, out of 49 Career and Technical Education Programs at

Bates, 29 programs do not yet have clear, measurable student learning outcomes (SLOs)

applicable to current academic and industry standards.

How do we intend to achieve buy-in from active learning-based programs to write high quality,

measurable learning outcomes? Our action plan answers this question.

Over the next two years, this plan will achieve alignment with state, regional and national

standards required for all Career Training programs at Bates, identifying and implementing clear,

measurable, and industry appropriate student learning outcomes.

Defining the Process

In order to maximize faculty buy-in over the two year period, we have designed a seven step

process for our campus stakeholders to create, review, and revise student learning outcomes at

course and program levels, as needed:

1. Administration: Provide professional development opportunities and

resources for faculty training (i.e. DACUM training, release time, return

to industry time).

2. Faculty/ Curriculum and Assessment Committees: Follow agreed-upon

procedures and processes (e.g. Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA)

memorandum, administrators, and budget approval) to schedule and then

initiate the program review process.

3. Curriculum and Assessment Committees: Collect program data.

4. Faculty/ Curriculum and Assessment Committees: Create learning

outcomes for the program (fellow instructors and committee members

will mentor program faculty throughout this process).

5. Curriculum and Assessment Committees: Gather data, track progress,

verify results (student input forms, faculty and advisory committee

feedback, alumni surveys).

17

6. Administration: Recognize and reward program faculty for their

participations and success.

7. Curriculum and Assessment Committees: Share data to improve

implementation as necessary. Follow procedures above for all 29

programs.

Defining Success

Within two years, 80% of programs at Bates Technical College will have Master Course

Outlines reviewed by the Curriculum Review Committee and approved by the Assessment

Committee. All course-level student learning outcomes on their Master Course Outlines will

have been reviewed and revised (where necessary) to ensure they are measurable and aligned

with program and institutional outcomes.

Part Two: Strategies/Indicators*

Strategies

● The campus has a solid commitment to equity‐based best practices in education,

coupled with clearly defined high expectations for all students.

● Structures and practices are in place to help all students achieve clear and concrete

learning outcomes that meet expectations. Structures and/or processes afford the

opportunity for formative assessment to modify courses of action if indicated.

● Professional development is pro-active, not remedial. Professional development

initiatives for program review are supported by campus administrators and grounded

in research on best practices.

● Assessment of learning is a shared cultural and professional norm. The center for

teaching and learning (or equivalent) promotes a shared vocabulary for conversations

about learning and supports campus‐wide initiatives for improving student learning.

● The process for setting institutional agendas regarding student learning is well‐defined and grounded in data about student success; faculty are involved in

conversations about how to assess student learning and maximize the use of existing

data sources and assessment processes.

● Working with data is understood as an iterative dialogue requiring participation from

multiple stakeholders. Data is used to document change: the evidence used to

determine the need for a change, the actual change that was implemented, and what

happened as a result of that change.

* (Indicators: See Appendix A)

18

Part Three: Timeline

7x7 Plans

At Bates Technical College, some Career and Technical Education programs are already

accredited by a regional or national agency. Although these programs are regional or nationally

accredited, there will be continuous improvement components done on a yearly basis but not at

the comprehensive level that a full review would require. Therefore, we’re aligning their

reaccreditation cycle with the institutional cycle. The 7x7 plan means all 49 programs will be

reviewed at the conclusion of seven years. Listed below is how the process will work:

1. Identify where each of our 49 programs are on the schedule for program

accreditation.

2. Identify needs including education, professional development, mentoring, etc.

3. Prioritize program reviews based on accreditation timeline needs into groups

of approximately seven programs per year.

4. Initiate the process to create, review, and revise student learning outcomes at

course and program levels including:

a) Notifying those who are currently being accredited and familiarizing them

with the process.

b) Notify all others of their place in line for accreditation so they can begin

planning.

c) Identifying individuals who have recently completed the process as

“mentors” for programs next on the timeline for accreditation.

19

Part Four: Project Syllabus

SLO 101: Writing Student Learning Outcomes

Term: 2016-2018

Delivery mode: Hybrid

Credits __, __ lecture/lab hours

Instructor Information

Names: Bryce Battisti, Al Griswold, Blake Ingram, Katie Lorz, Tim Trussler, Aimee Sidhu,

Mike Wood.

Office Hours: by appointment

Contact Information: Email

Meet your Instructors:

Bryce Battisti: Online Science Instructor, Instructional Designer, Assessment

Committee Chair, eLearning Committee, Curriculum Committee.

Al Griswold: VP of Instruction.

Blake Ingram: Dean of Workforce Development, Program Review, College Council.

Katie Lorz: IBEST Electrical Construction Instructor, Assessment Committee,

eLearning Committee.

Tim Trussler: eLearning and Library Manager.

Aimee Sidhu: Occupational Therapy Assistant Instructor, Curriculum Committee.

Mike Wood: Librarian, Assessment Committee.

Course Information

Prerequisites: Must be faculty or staff employee at Bates Technical College.

Course Description: This course is designed to assist faculty and staff with aligning Career

Training programs with the appropriate licensure and standards to create clear, measurable

student learning outcomes.

Course Objectives:

Upon successful completion of the course faculty should be able to:

Articulate the value of Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) for instructors and students.

Systematically review and revise 80% of course-level student learning outcomes on their

Master Course Outlines to ensure they are measurable and aligned with program and

institutional outcomes.

Submit Master Course Outlines (MCOs) for review by the Curriculum Review

Committee.

Submit SLO’s to the Assessment Committee for approval.

20

Required Textbook(s): Curriculum and Assessment Process Resource Manual/Website.

Required Supplies: Mentor, Professional Development, and Center for Teaching and

Learning.

Optional Supplies: Community of Conversation, Release Time, Sabbatical, Professional

Memberships, and Professional Conferences, and DACUM.

Coursework

Schedule/calendar/organization:

R = Responsible person(s)

A = Accountable person(s)

C = Consulted person(s)

I = Informed person(s)

Course Topics Responsible

stakeholders Due Date

Informed

stakeholders

Informational Roll-out

Assessment &

Curriculum Comm (R) Fall 2016

Admin (I)

Institutional

Research (C)

Pilot programs for SLOs

Admin (A)

Select Faculty (R)

Project Mgr (A)

Tech Advisory

Boards (C)

CTE Program Identification for

Program Review

Program Review

Committee (R)

Deans (A)

Professional Development on SLOs

Part 1

Project Mgr (R)

Winter

2017

First Cadre meet with Mentors to

start MCO/SLO Review process

Assigned Mentor (R)

Professional Development on SLOs

Part 2

Project Mgr (R)

Spring

2017

First Cadre writes MCOs/SLOs Assigned Faculty (R)

Second Cadre meet with Mentors to

start MCO/SLO Review process Assigned Mentor (R)

1st year - Celebration of Success Project Mgr (R)

Summer

2017

21

First Cadre drafts and submits

MCOs/SLOs to Curriculum Comm

Curriculum Comm (R)

Assessment Comm (R)

Professional Development Part 3 Project Mgr (R) Fall 2017

Second Cadre writes MCOs/SLOs Faculty (R), Mentor (R)

Third Cadre meet with Mentors to

start MCO/SLO Review process

Faculty (R)

Assigned Mentor (R)

Professional Development Part 4 Faculty (R) Winter

2018

Second Cadre drafts and submits

MCOs/SLOs for review by Curr &

Assess Comm

Curriculum Comm (R)

Assessment Comm (R)

Third Cadre writes MCOs/SLOs Faculty (R)

Mentor (A)

Professional Development Part 5 Project Mgr (R) Spring

2018

Third Cadre drafts and submits

MCOs/SLOs for review by Curr &

Assess Comm

Curriculum Comm (R)

Assessment Comm (R)

2nd year - Celebration of Success

(T-Shirts!) Project Mgr (R)

Summer

2018

Assignments:

1. Participate in three professional development days annually and complete post-

workshop survey.

2. Meet with mentor to begin SLO review process.

3. Review and revise MCOs and SLOs for entire program.

4. Submit MCOs for Curriculum Committee Review.

5. Submit Student Learning Outcomes for Assessment Committee Approval.

Grading Criteria: Successful participants will complete 80% of the final project by August 1,

2018.

Course Policies:

Work Study: Successful participants may have the opportunity to mentor other participants.

Extra Credit: Early completion may result in priority for additional budgetary, resource, and

program supports.

Late Work: Those programs completing the SLO review process last may lose the opportunity

for additional budgetary, resource, and program supports.

22

Project Task List

What needs to be done?

By whom

and with

whom?

When?

Who needs

to be

informed?

How?

Identify 6 program reviews, per

CBA,

Blake, Al,

Bryce

(Program

Review

committee),

FALL Quarter

start through

2016/17 year and

a repeat of

2017/18

Report to

faculty union,

in

writing/report

Earmark financial resources for

implementing DACUMS CAO, Al Sept

CBA and

program

faculty and

dean

Financial for professional

development training See above See above See above

Financial for membership to

professional associations See above See above See above

Financial for access to travel and

professional conferences See above See above See above

Finance and schedule release time

(sabbatical) See above See above See above

Finalize resource manual

(Develop shared vocabulary)

Assessment

and

Curriculum

committees

and Al

FALL

Professional

Development

All Faculty

Communication Strategy

Calendaring of 3 professional

development days (what to learn,

when to meet, how to share the

knowledge)

Assessment

&

Curriculum

Committees

Sept meetings

[Oct 1 deadline

for 2016/17 year]

Faculty,

CBA- notified

by Al and

union

Mentoring support/cadre for

writing student learning outcomes

Highly defined expectations

Equity-minded practices

Structures are in places for students

to meet LOs

Get approval by Curriculum and

Assessment Committees, follow

agreed-upon procedures and

23

processes of CBA memorandum,

administrators, and budget

approval.

Collect program data via iterative

process, multiple stakeholders are

involved, track progress, verify

results.

Data is used to document change:

the evidence used to determine the

need for a change, the actual

change that was implemented, and

what happened as a result of that

change (track progress, verify

results)

Reward faculty for their

participations and success - Align

budget increases with this process -

data-verified gaps and needs.

Adapt project if necessary

Faculty are regularly involved in

these conversations

Assessment and professional

development are cultural norms

The center for teaching and

learning is active in implementing

this initiative

Those charged with leading

professional development

initiatives on campus are supported

by campus administrators

Appendix G Bates Technical College Program Review Process

Purpose of Program Review

Program Review is a systematic way to assess the quality of academic programs and determine

ways to improve the quality of education, scholarship, and service. The purpose of program

review is threefold: first, to assure that the faculty and administration provide high quality

professional /technical and academic programs for students; second, to identify opportunities for

improvement in each program; and third, determine the strengths and challenges of the existing

program and to set strategies and plans of continuous improvement in order to provide future

learners with more competitive skills, viable knowledge, and a quality education. All these will

ensure the college is meeting business and industry needs by supplying a trained workforce.

Academic Program review is part of the College’s overall planning process. This is a systematic

component of the overall institutions evaluative process for measuring effectiveness, efficiency,

and quality of each program.

All programs should have evidence from an Academic Audit, which is the departmental records

and data, as well as institutional records such as: Master Course Outlines, syllabus on file;

program hand booklet, current assessment plan and multiple measures of teaching effectiveness.

The foundation of the Program Review is a self-study that focuses on program performance,

continuous program improvement, the identification of problems and solutions, and evidence of

student-learning outcomes. The self-study will present both an analysis and a description of the

total academic program and its future.

This part of the Self-Study will examine seven specific categories with each support staff

identified:

A. Program Statistics - Director of Outcomes, Assessment and Research

B. Curriculum - Chair of Curriculum Review Committee

C. Assessment of Student Learning - Chair of Assessment Committee

D. Advisory Committees - Dean/GAC/Faculty

E. Equipment and Facilities - EVP/ VPA-Services

F. Faculty Professional Development - HR/Instruction office

G. Collaboration Across the College - Co-curricular -BAT, IDeans & College Council

The second facet of the Program Review process will consist of the following components:

A. Program Information - Academic Audit (Reported Annually)

a. Enrollment Data and Trends – Data Collected Yearly (Director of Outcomes,

Assessment and Research)

b. Demographic Data -Yearly collected- Yearly - (Director of Outcomes,

Assessment and Research)

c. Alumni Survey Data - Yearly Reported - Director of Outcomes, Assessment and

Research Program Demand – Yearly Reported (Advisory/GAC & Center of

Excellence)

B. Three-Year Status Report (Faculty/Dean completes)

a. Program Description - (Program Overview/Mission)

b. Career Opportunities - (Area/Regional Data on occupation)

c. Degree/Certificate Options - (Types of Degrees/certificate awarded)

d. Program Overview/General Department Information - Faculty/Dean

e. Admission requirements - VPSS/Programs/Advisors

f. Program Retention Requirements if Applicable - SAI/IBEST/Director of

Outcomes, Assessment and Research g. Transfer Options or Articulation Agreements - Deans

h. Application of Knowledge (Experiential Learning, Work base learning, COOPS,

Internships and/or Clinical) - Faculty/Dean

i. Outstanding Program Achievements - Faculty/Program awards

j. General Education Requirements - Faculty/Dean

k. Catalog Description & Course Descriptions - Faculty/MCO’s/Publication

l. Advising/Student Support - Faculty/Admissions/ASG/Disability

Services/Workforce C. Program Resources (Faculty/Dean Completes)

a. Faculty (Number of Faculty to Assigned Program)

b. Space (Allocated Rooms/Lab space) - Dean/Facilities

c. Student Questionnaire (questions regarding program/courses, their participation

and involvement, the kinds of activities they encountered, to what extent classes

accomplished their goals) – Director of Outcomes, Assessment and Research

d. Student Learning Outcomes - Director of Outcomes, Assessment and

Research and Assessment Committee/Faculty

e. Assessment Process –Assessment Committee/Faculty

f. Program Strengths - Self Assessment by Faculty

g. Areas of Improvement- EVP/VPA/VPSS

D. Developing an Improvement Plan & Final Portfolio - Faculty/Dean

a. Once the Self-Study Is completed submit a final report with all these pieces

reviewed.

E. Feedback on the Academic Program Review Process - EVP/Program Review

Committee a. Feedback from all stakeholders is requested each year. This feedback is used to

improve the process of academic program review- Student, Alumni and

Employer Survey’s F. Implementing improvements and Progress Reports - Dean/Faculty

a. During the year following the review, the program will implement the action items

listed on the improvement plan and provide periodic reports on progress on the action

items.

Annual Progress Report

Approved Plan

Self-

Study

Action

Plan

External

Review

Team

Appendix H Bates Technical College Program Assessment Committee

MISSION

The Assessment Committee at Bates Technical College will work to improve student learning by

creating effective tools for the assessment of student learning outcomes at the course, program

and college-level and evaluating annual program assessments for completion.

MEMBERSHIP

Faculty Bryce Battisti, Teresa Borchardt, Mike Clark, Beth Cummings, Lynn

Neal, Matt Spitzer, Mike Wood, Katie Lorz, Bill Swarens

Staff Kelsey Williams

Administrator Blake Ingram

Board of

Trustee N/A

SCHEDULE

Frequency of Meetings: Monthly

Date and Time: Second Wednesday, 11:15 am – 12:15 pm

PURPOSE

In order to enhance Institutional Effectiveness, the Assessment Committee at Bates Technical

College will work to improve students' retention, completion, and achievement of employment

by creating effective tools for the assessment of learning outcomes at course, program and

college-level.

FUNCTIONS

The Assessment Committee exists to:

Coordinate with College administration in helping each program create/update Program-

wide Student Learning Outcomes that are accurately mapped to college-wide learning

outcomes.

Create a repository of annual Assessment Plans and Assessment Results for each

program.

Provide faculty with tools for assessing course-level student learning outcomes.

Design and deploy assessment instruments for recording data that will accurately map

Bates’ curriculum to course, program, and college wide learning outcomes.

Maintain an Assessment Committee page on the Bates website to share assessment-

related resources and document progress helping students achieve learning outcomes.

MEMBERSHIP

The Assessment Committee is faculty led and receives oversight and support from the Executive

VP of Instruction/Chief Academic Officer (or designee). The committee consists of one faculty

member representing each cluster/department to reflect the varied programs of study at Bates

Technical College. Each member will attempt to provide a qualified replacement when a member

cannot attend. In the case of a vote taking place during a member’s absence, the replacement

may vote with a written proxy from the absent member or with prior permission from the chair.

The Assessment Committee Chairperson shall not represent his/her individual cluster in the work

of the committee.

The committee will be supported by the chief officer of academic affairs or designee. Supporting

teaching and learning will be represented by the chief officer for student affairs or designee. An

executive assistant shall be assigned by the chief officer of academic affairs to record meeting

notes and provide clerical support.

TERMS OF OFFICE

The voting members of the committee will elect a chair. The term of office for the

chair will be two years. In the event that the office of the chair falls vacant, a new

chair will be voted in at the next regular meeting and will complete the term of

office.

An Assessment Committee member’s term of office shall be two years

(renewable). All regular terms of service will begin with the first committee

meeting of a new academic year, in the fall quarter.

If a committee member is unable to complete his/her term of office, the

department involved will elect a replacement to complete the term. Temporary

vacancies will be filled by election or appointment by the instructional dean as

determined within each department.

A department dean is not eligible for election to the curriculum committee.

A parliamentarian from an outside source may be appointed by the chair or by

request of the membership.

The committee shall appoint at least one representative to the Curriculum

Committee and the College Council; this may be one or more individuals

throughout the course of the academic year based on availability and

representation.

DUTIES OF THE CHAIRPERSON

The chair will call the committee into session and provide an agenda. An executive

assistant will record and publish minutes and maintain records of all matters considered

and decided by the committee.

The chair may invite members of the campus community, such as advisors, and

deans to sit with the committee on an ad hoc basis. Any person or persons may

request to be on the agenda for the purpose of addressing the committee on an

issue.

MEETINGS

Regular Assessment Committee meetings will be held monthly unless cancelled by the chair

and/or vote of the committee. Additional meetings or work sessions may be called by the chair.

Meetings are open, and visitors may have the opportunity to speak on any item on the agenda at

the request of the meeting chair.

VOTING

• No meeting of the committee will be official if less than a simple majority of its voting

members are present.

• All matters before the committee will be decided by a simple majority vote of the

members present.

• Suspension of the committee rules will require a two-thirds majority of those members

present.

PROCEDURES

• Roberts Rules of Order will be used in all meetings.

• Proposals and items for consideration must be submitted to the committee secretary ten

calendar days in advance of the meeting. Proposals and items of consideration not

meeting the deadline may be discussed, but no decision may be rendered; any exceptions

to this rule must be approved by a two-thirds vote of the committee.

• Proposed agendas and necessary paperwork for each meeting will be circulated to the

committee members at least five working days in advance of each meeting.

• A proposal will be placed on a meeting agenda only if it meets the following criteria;

The proper forms are completed accurately and fully.

The original should be sent to the committee chair as well as an email or hard

copy for distribution purposes, ten calendar days prior to the next meeting.

• The departmental representative will present the nature and merit of his/her department's

course or program proposal to the committee on the first reading.

• Non-approved proposals will be returned to the originator for resubmission.

• The committee will make all recommendations to the chief officer for academic affairs.

BY-LAWS

The Assessment Committee will draft its own by-laws covering day-to-day operation, schedules,

and procedures. These by-laws will become the working document of the committee upon

approval by two-thirds of the committee members present during a scheduled committee

meeting.

Amendments to the by-laws may be proposed by any member of the committee. An amendment

proposal must be submitted in writing to the committee ten working days prior to the meeting.

Passage of the amendment will require the approval of two-thirds of the members when a

quorum is present.

DEFINITIONS

Accreditation: The primary means by which colleges, universities and programs assure quality

to students and the public. Accreditation provides access by the institution to federal funds,

including federal financial aid funds; eases transfer of courses and programs among colleges and

universities; and is used by employers when evaluating credentials of job applicants. Bates

Technical College’s accrediting agency, the Northwest Commission on Colleges and

Universities, does a full scale review of each institution it accredits every ten years. Features of

this evaluation include the self-study, a written summary of performance prepared by the

institution; and a site visit performed by a visiting evaluation team of peer reviewers appointed

by the Commission.

Assessment: An ongoing process of understanding and improving student learning. Assessment

involves:

Making expectations explicit and public

Systematically gathering & interpreting evidence

Measuring outcomes by expectation

Using results to document, explain, and improve performance (Thomas A. Angelo,

AAHE Bulletin, November 1995, p.7).

College-wide Learning Outcomes (CLOs): We are an institution of higher education. As such, we strive to inspire, challenge, and educate

our students in the development of human diversity, effective communication and critical

thinking skills. In alignment with the college strategic plan (2010-2014), the following college-

wide learning outcomes reflect the guiding expectations by all programs at Bates Technical

College. (Revised April 17, 2013)

Bates Technical College graduates should be able to demonstrate competence in:

• Human diversity involves a recognition and appreciation of the size, complexity, and

diversity of the earth conceived as a single entity. For students, this includes the ability to

recognize, interpret, and respond to the differences and commonalities among people in

the workplace and the learning environment, thereby demonstrating effective

communication skills.

• Effective communication includes the ability to identify relationships among ideas,

points of view, and language choices by reading and writing critically.

• Critical thinking is defined as disciplined thinking that is clear, rational, open-minded,

and informed by evidence. Coursework is designed to challenge a student’s ability to

problem solve and analyze given the demands of an ever-changing workplace within a

diverse culture.

Course Objectives: What students should be able to know, do, or accomplish once they have

completed a particular course. These may also be referred to as student learning

objectives/outcomes or course expected outcomes. They are identified on Master Course

Outlines and course proposal forms and are a required element of course syllabi.

Educational Outcomes: What program faculty intend for students to be able to think, know, do

or accomplish. Student learning (course) objectives/outcomes, Program Learning Outcomes and

College-Wide Student Learning Outcomes are types of educational outcomes.

Institutional Effectiveness: The process by which a college evaluates its overall effectiveness in

light of its stated mission and goals. The goal of evaluating institutional effectiveness is

continuous improvement. Instructional assessment is one component of institutional

effectiveness.

Instructional Assessment Five Year Review Cycle: Ideally each Program in the College will

1. assess each Program Learning Outcome within a 5 year period

2. analyze the data from the assessment process to design improvements to the

teaching/learning process and/or revise the Program Learning Outcome

3. reassess the Program Learning Outcome after the improvements have been implemented

Instructional Program: An Instructional Program is defined as a group of courses taken within

a particular discipline or department culminating in a degree, certificate, or set of courses in a

distribution area or support area.

Learning: Engaging in a task that builds capacity for the rest of life. (Ruth Stiehl with Les

Lewchuk, The Outcomes Primer: Reconstructing the Curriculum, Corvallis: The Learning

Organization 2000, p. 28.)

Master Course Outline (MCO): Among other things the MCO document lists, for every course

taught at Bates, the course-level student learning outcomes that will be used by every instructor,

every section, every quarter it is taught.

Program Learning Outcomes (PLO): What students should be able to know, do, or

accomplish once they have completed a particular series of courses, especially those within a

distribution requirement, or a particular program of study. They describe what students should

know or be able to do “out there”. These outcomes encompass the “big ideas” and skills that

students will carry away as a result of their academic preparation in a specific program at Bates

Technical College. Each program has approximately five Program Learning Outcomes which are

assessed in a five year cycle.

Reliability: Reliability is a measure of consistency for an assessment instrument or process. A

reliable assessment instrument should yield similar results over time with similar populations in

similar circumstances.

Student Learning Outcomes: A description of what students should be able to know or do as a

result of instruction. A learning outcome is a measureable statement of what a learner is

expected to know, understand or be able to do as a result of a learning process; good learning

outcomes focus on the application and integration of the knowledge and skills acquired in a

course. They are student centered, specific and use active language (verbs) that make

expectations clear. Bloom’s Taxonomy is very useful when writing learning outcomes. Student

learning outcomes can be delineated at the lesson, course/class, program or college-wide level:

Student learning outcomes=lesson or course level (also referred to as course objectives or

course outcomes)

Program learning outcomes= student learning outcomes at the Program level

College-wide Learning Outcomes=student learning outcomes at the College-wide level

Validity: Validity refers to the extent to which an assessment instrument or process measures the

desired performance and appropriate inferences can be drawn from the results.

Appendix I Bates Technical College Assessment Summary Form

Program Name:

Program Assessment Leader:

List the Faculty involved in Instructional

Assessment:

Date submitted:

I. List all of the courses offered by your program in the last 2 years, then indicate if the Course-

Level Student Learning Outcomes have been updated and when they were (or will be)

updated.

Courses

Offered

Updated Course-

Level Student

Learning

Outcomes?

Yes or No

If Yes, indicate when they were

updated.

If No, please indicate when they will be

updated.

Add more rows if necessary.

II. Please list your current Program-Level Student Learning Outcomes (what knowledge and

skills students can demonstrate after completing your program). After each PLO indicate to

which College-Wide Student Learning Outcome(s), or CWOs, the PLO aligns. Details on

each of the CWOs can be found at the following site: Bates Assessment Site URL Address

Program-Level Student Learning Outcomes (PLOs)

When were the Program-Level Student Learning Outcomes updated last?

Please check all that apply regarding the alignment of Course-Level, Program-Level, and

College-Wide Student Learning Outcomes:

a. Most or all of our updated Course-Level Student Learning Outcomes have been aligned

to one or more of our Program-Level Student Learning Outcomes

b. Most or all of our Program-Level Student Learning Outcomes have been aligned to one

or more of the College-Wide Student Learning Outcomes

c. Most or all of our updated Course-Level Student Learning Outcomes have been aligned

to one or more of the College-Wide Student Learning Outcomes

d. Our Program-Level Student Learning Outcomes are in the process of being updated, and

they will be updated by (indicate quarter): _________________

e. The courses in our program primarily serve students transferring and/or earning A.A. and

A.S. transfer degrees, so our Program-Level Student Learning Outcomes are the learning

outcomes for the A.A. and A.S. degrees. (Note A.A. degree learning outcomes have been

updated, and the A.S. degree learning outcomes will be updated in 2014-2015.)

f. The updated Course-Level Student Learning Outcomes have not yet been aligned to

Program-Level or College-Wide Student Learning Outcomes, but they will be aligned by

(indicate quarter): _________________

g. No Course-Level Student Learning Outcomes have been updated or aligned.

h. The Program-Level Student Learning Outcomes have not been updated or aligned.

i. We do not have Program-Level Student Learning Outcomes.

III. The Instructional Assessment Committee (IAC) would like to help all faculty and programs

with their assessment efforts.

Describe the support and/or resources you would like from the IAC (e.g. help

with writing/updating learning outcomes, help linking course-level or program-

level learning outcomes to college-wide outcomes, help with using Canvas for

assessment, etc.).