Butte College

• Effective Practices Include:–Center for Academic Success (CAS)–Critical Skills Workshops–Critical Skills Study Hour Course–Reading and Writing Center

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Center for Academic Success

• Serves up to 5,000 students per semester, logging around 48,000 student use hours

• Located on the main floor of the Learning Resource Center

Critical Skills Defined• Critical Skills are any

specific skills that an individual student may need to further develop in order to succeed in a specific course.

• The Critical Skills term is not intended to represent broad Basic Skills.

Critical Skills Workshops

• Critical Skills Workshops offer one-hour, focused instruction in five subject areas:

– Study Skills–Reading–Writing–Math–Computer Skills

Critical Skills WorkshopsInitial Hurdles

• Funding• Facilities• Process for Proof of Attendance

Critical Skills Study Hour:Nuts and Bolts

• 0.5 unit EDUC courses are linked to level-appropriate subject-specific courses.– Examples:• EDUC 10 w/ HIST 8• EDUC 110 w/ MATH 108• EDUC 210 w/ LEAD 219

• Areas of skills development needs are identified via:– Initial interview with student– Past progress (transcripts)– Input from content course instructor

Nuts and Bolts, Continued

• Requirements for 0.5 unit credit:– Three half-hour meetings with CAS faculty– Eight Critical Skills workshops and homework

assignments• Course is Credit/No Credit, open entry/open

exit.• May be repeated three times at each level.

Center for Academic SuccessStudent Learning Outcomes

1. Effective Use of Resources 2. Successful Application of Learning

Strategies 3. Effective Use of Self-Assessment

Strategies 4. Retention and Success

Critical Skills Workshop Attendance• Spring 2003 116• Fall 2003 271• Spring 2004 261• Fall 2004 384• Spring 2005 1,255• Fall 2005 1,398• Spring 2006 1,784• Fall 2006 2,020• Spring 2007 2,307• Fall 2007 2,284• Spring 2008 3,223

Critical Skills Study Hour:Challenges

• Attendance!• Logistics of Workshops– Scheduling– Staffing

• Outreach• Chico Campus Support

Critical Skills Study Hour Enrollment and Completion

• Fall 2004: 9 enrolled 4 completed• Spring 2005: 26 enrolled 14 completed• Fall 2005: 24 enrolled 19 completed• Spring 2006: 63 enrolled 51 completed• Fall 2006: 63 enrolled 51 completed• Spring 2007:70 enrolled 53 completed• Fall 2007: 70 enrolled 45 completed• Spring 2008:49 enrolled 37 completed

Critical Skills Study Hour:The Good Stuff

• Increases FTES• Increases retention and persistence rates.• Enhances students’ ability to think metacognitively

about learning and studying, increasing transference of learned skills to future courses (not as prominent in individualized tutoring).

• Exposes students in need of skills development to the resources and learning community supported in CAS.

Questions

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