program review report – spring 2010 · web viewtools to assess program outcomes at the present...
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FINAL REPORT – 6/29/10SHORELINE COMMUNITY COLLEGE
BUSINESS TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM REVIEW
SPRING 2010
Prepared by Karen Demetre, Consultant
TABLE OF CONTENTSPurpose.................................................................... 3
Methodology.......................................................... 4
Report Elements1. Assessment of Learning……………………….. 6
2. Program Information…………………………… 73. Student Data Trends……………………………. 94. Access/Success - Under-Represented Stds. 215. Curriculum………………………………………. 226. Faculty……………………………………………..257. Resources…………………………………………268. Revenue Potential………………………………. 289. Partnerships………………………………………2810. Schedule of Classes……………………………..2911. Support Services…………………………………3012. Facilities……………………………………………3113. Program Budget Overview…………………….. 3114. Comparison with Programs in Region………. 3215. Employment Prospects………………………… 3516. Analysis of Findings……………………………. 3617. Recommendations………………………………. 38
Appendix: Summary of Responses1. Students…………………………………………… 412. Faculty………………………………………………493. Advisory Committee…………………………….. 564. Comparison of Group Ratings………………… 585. Industry Focus Group…………………………... 60
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PURPOSE
The purpose of the program review process at Shoreline Community College is continuous quality improvement. This process is scheduled on a five year cycle across all instructional areas at the college.
This process also serves to meet standards established by the State Board for Community and Technical College Education and the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities. Relevant accreditation standards are listed below:
4.A Assessment
4.A.1 The institution engages in ongoing systematic collection and analysis of meaningful, assessable, and verifiable data – quantitative and/or qualitative, as appropriate to its indicators of achievement – as the basis for evaluating the accomplishment of its core theme objectives.
4.A.2 The institution engages in an effective system of evaluation of its programs and services, wherever offered and however delivered, to evaluate achievement of clearly-identified program goals or intended outcomes. Faculty has a primary role in the evaluation of educational programs and services.
4.A.3 The institution documents, through an effective, regular, and comprehensive system of assessment of student achievement, that students who complete its educational courses, programs, and degrees, wherever offered and however delivered, achieve identified course, program, and degree learning outcomes. Faculty with teaching responsibilities are responsible for evaluating student achievement of clearly-identified learning outcomes.
4.A.4 The institution evaluates holistically the alignment, correlation, and integration of programs and services with respect to accomplishment of core theme objectives.
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METHODOLOGY
First Committee Meeting (Orientation to process with full-time faculty, division dean, workforce dean, institutional researcher, and consultant)
Qualitative Information Collected College website, planning guides, brochures Schedule of Classes Class Cancellations and Wait Lists Full-Time Faculty Input (written assignment) Samples: Course Syllabi + Master Course Outlines Student Focus Group (current students) Student Surveys (online + former students) Full-Time Faculty Interviews Division Dean Interview Advisory Committee Interview + Meeting Minutes Employment Information and Projections Programs at Other Colleges (degrees/certificates/schedules)
Quantitative Information Collected Faculty teaching loads (full-time and part-time) Division budget figures Annualized FTES, Headcount, and % of Enrollment
(by program and by certificate + degree) Student demographics (age, gender, ethnicity, academic
disadvantage + economic disadvantage) Completion of degrees and certificates Student grade distributions State comparative data on S:F ratios State employment data on former students
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METHODOLOGY (continued)
Consultant Preparation of Report Compile/analyze data + information Write findings/recommendations Email draft report to committee for review Meet with committee to discuss draft report Finalize report and distribute to committee
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PROGRAM REVIEW REPORT Business Technology – Spring 2010
ELEMENTS REVIEWED, FINDINGS, + ANALYSIS
1.ASSESSMENT OF LEARNINGTOOLS TO ASSESS PROGRAM OUTCOMES1.1 At the present time there is no formal system for measuring and tracking
aggregate data to assess achievement of program outcomes. Faculty monitors student performance in their classes and receives feedback informally from advisory committee members and graduates to assess program outcomes. Faculty indicates that class outcomes support program outcomes and thus passing a class is an indicator for assessing program outcomes. The capstone class provides helpful samples of student work for this purpose, but it was cancelled this year. Faculty wants to reinstate this class in the future. Student respondents gave favorable reactions when asked how well their learning needs were met and how well prepared they were for employment in the field.
Follow-up with former students consists of occasional conversations or contacts. Both faculty and advisory committee representatives expressed interest in using student exit surveys or interviews as well as graduate surveys (3 to 6 months after leaving) to research perceptions about meeting program outcomes.
Faculty has not received much helpful information about student data trends; and find it necessary to keep their own enrollment statistics for review. The recent hiring of a new institutional researcher may provide institutional data that better supports assessment of program outcomes.
TOOLS TO ASSESS GENERAL EDUCATION OUTCOMES1.2 There is uncertainty about how to best approach this task. Master course
outlines identify general education outcomes addressed in each course. Business technology faculty are experienced in assessing student learning in their discipline; and they utilize a variety of assessment methods including: written assignments, demonstration documents and projects, discussion board posts, quizzes and tests. Since many courses and assignments or projects include multiple learning outcomes it is sometimes difficult to isolate and collect assessment data on the individual general education outcomes. Specific guidelines/criteria or performance levels for assessing achievement of general education outcomes have not been defined by the college. Although it is assumed that passing grades demonstrate satisfactory achievement of general education outcomes, this area of assessment could be further refined.
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Faculty is concerned that the college does not provide clear criteria for content that fulfills the human relations requirement in professional-technical programs. This makes it difficult to ensure that content meets accreditation standards for related instruction (general education in prof-tech courses) and it compromises meaningful assessment in this area. Further, this situation raises questions about curriculum committee processes, since there is no panel of content experts for the human relations requirement (one exists for the multicultural requirement).
EVIDENCE OF ACTION BASED ON ASSESSMENT FINDINGS : 1.3 Faculty continually evaluates student learning in their courses and program.
They have made progress in assessing the general education outcome for communication. Faculty reviewed the college description of this outcome, compared it to samples of student work (papers and assignments) and then changed instructors and revised curriculum based on their findings.
2. PROGRAM INFORMATION(Website, catalog, planning guides, program descriptions, and promotional materials)
GENERAL OBSERVATIONS:2.1 Faculty is uncertain about college processes for updating program
information on the website or revising the program brochure. Website updating does not involve faculty and they do not know how or when they can address concerns about accuracy, relevancy, currency, congruence, and accessibility of program information. It appears the college does not have enough resources devoted to keeping the website up-to-date. Many links do not work, some pathways are awkward, and there is no trained webmaster.
2.2 The apparent lack of a clear and consistent system at the college for improving program information hampers student advising and program promotion. College marketing efforts for the program seem minimal. Most student respondents learned about the program through word of mouth from counselors, advisors, financial aid staff, Work Source or Worker Retraining offices.
ACCURACY2.3 The website states book costs for every degree and certificate as variable and
approximately $200 per quarter. Curricula vary greatly among degrees and certificates, thus individualized cost estimates would be more helpful to students.
RELEVANCY2.4 Program descriptions on the website and brochure provide clear and helpful
information about career pathways from certificates to degrees. The Bus Tech degree is described as offering a selection of elective courses from Accounting, Business Technology, Computer Information Systems, Visual Communications Technology or other approved areas. An unmentioned distinction is that required courses give more background than a certificate in
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communication, computer skills, multicultural factors, and work experience which can increase employability.
2.5 The Office Assistant/Receptionist Certificate is very similar to the Customer Service Specialist/Receptionist Certificate. Differences between these should be highlighted to help students easily distinguish the two certificates.
2.6 The college website includes Payroll Clerk Certificate under the Business Technology Program offerings, but state coding assigns this certificate to the Accounting Program. Thus, it is not included in this report.
2.7 Program prerequisites are clearly described for all degree and certificate options in the website. The Excel class (Bus Tech 150) is required for many of these, but there is no mention that Math 080 placement is a prerequisite for this class. Students’ academic planning would be enhanced by placing this reminder in the curricular planning guides for the Bus Tech AAAS as well as certificates in Bus Tech, Business Software Applications, Customer Service Specialist/Receptionist, and Microsoft Software applications. Also, the program brochure describes prerequisites but does not mention that BusTech 100 or the equivalent for keyboarding is required for Word courses.
2.8 Footnotes alert students to courses offered once per year, which helps with their academic planning.
CURRENCY2.9 Website content provides salary information with some sources. This is helpful
for students, although content for 2006 is getting out-of-date.
CONGRUENCY2.10 Website content provides a consistent presentation of headings for each
program option (i.e. quarterly costs, program description and outcomes, etc.). General education requirements are consistently identified.
2.11 Inconsistent references for job and wage information were noted in the Website. Many certificate options do not provide these sources and variability is apparent in sources cited (bls.gov versus WOIS).
ACCESSIBILITY2.12 Program information was easily accessed in the college website A-Z directory
and also the link to professional-technical programs. Most students give high ratings for helpfulness of program information, although older students with less computer skill prefer printed material over the website. A number of student comments described hearing about the program by word of mouth from advisors, counselors, Work Source, and the college Workforce Education Office.
2.13 The college catalog is in limited supply and presents more abbreviated content than the website. Printed information is available in the form of program brochures and curriculum planning guides available in the Advising Center and other offices across the campus.
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3. STUDENT DATA TRENDS(demographics, quarters and degrees/certificates, grades, transfer)
NOTE: Issues affecting accuracy of students’ program intent codes may affect some institutional data used in this review.
THREE-YEAR ENROLLMENT - ANNUALIZED FTES
3.1 The Business Technology Program enrollment (annualized FTES) increased each year from 2007-08 to 2008-09.
3.2 Factors supporting enrollment include: (1) a weak economy that prompts more people to attend college, (2) a broad and favorable job market for applicants with business technology skills, (3) development of online and hybrid courses with high demand, (4) clustering of course sections, (5) changing the program name from Office Administration to Business Technology and (6) updating titles of some positions and courses.
Annualized State FTES by Program Area
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
A67 A78 A89
Year
Annl
zd. F
TES
Bus Admin AllBus Tech All
Education
STUDENT TO FACULTY RATIOS FOR PROGRAM
3.3 Official figures from the State Board identify student-to-faculty ratios for the last three years in the Data Processing category, which includes Business Technology. The Shoreline Community College Business Technology Program
A67 A78 A89Bus Tech All 27.71 38.83 42.98
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has shown an upward trend between 2006-07 and 2008-09 and remains significantly above the state average for student-to-faculty ratio.
06-07 07-08 08-09Shoreline CC 20.09 20.03 22.12State average 16.54 16.43 18.28
DEGREES AND CERTIFICATES: ENROLLMENT COUNT AND PERCENTAGE OF PROGRAM ENROLLMENT
3.4 About half (51%) the enrollment in 2008-09 was in the Business Technology Certificate option (which has the strongest 3-year growth rate). The second highest area (37%) was the Business Technology AAAS degree option.
3.5 Enrollment for the other certificates was dramatically smaller: Business Software Applications (7%) and Bilingual Office Assistant (2%). Demand for other certificate options (Microsoft Applications, Customer Service, and Office Assistant/Receptionist) appears minimal.
Business Tech All: Enrollment
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
Program
Enro
llmen
t
A67A78A89
10
Business Tech All:% Enrollment within Program
0.00%
10.00%
20.00%
30.00%
40.00%
50.00%
60.00%
Program
Perc
enta
ge
A67A78A89
EPC_TITLE A67 A78 A89 EPC_TITLE A67 A78 A89AAAS-BusTech 40 34 38 AAAS-BusTech 50.63% 34.00% 37.25%Cert- BusTech 19 53 52 Cert- BusTech 24.05% 53.00% 50.98%Cert-MSApps 5 5 1 Cert-MSApps 6.33% 5.00% 0.98%Cert-BusSoftApps 15 6 7 Cert-BusSoftApps 18.99% 6.00% 6.86%Cert-CustService 2 1 Cert-CustService 0.00% 2.00% 0.98%Cert-OffAsst/Rec 1 Cert-OffAsst/Rec 0.00% 0.00% 0.98%Cert-BilingOffAsst 2 Cert-BilingOffAsst 0.00% 0.00% 1.96% Bus Tech All Totals 79 100 102
DEGREES AND CERTIFICATES: ANNUALIZED STATE FTES
3.6 Annualized state FTES for the Certificate in Business Technology increased significantly from 2006 to 2009, comprising approximately half of the annualized FTES for the program. The AAAS degree also increased somewhat during that period and constituted about 40% of AnFTES in 2008-09.
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Business Tech: Annualized State FTES by Deg/Cert
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
AAAS
-Bus
Tech
Cert
- Bus
Tech
Cert
-Bu
sSoft
Apps
Cert
-Cu
stSe
rvic
e
Cert
-O
ffAss
t/Re
c
Cert
-Bi
lingO
ffAss
t
Cert
-MSA
pps
Bus T
ech
All
Tota
l
Deg/Cert
Annl
zd. F
TES
A67
A78
A89
STUDENT GENDER: ENROLLMENT COUNT AND PERCENTAGE
3.7 Female students constitute a vast majority in the Business Technology Program (around 81% in 2008-09). During the three years between 2006-07 and 2008-09 the number and percentage of females continued to increase, while the number and percentage of males declined to around 19% in 2008-09. Gender equity for males is steadily declining in the program.
EPC_TITLE A67 A78 A89AAAS-BusTech 14.71 11.84 17.16Cert- BusTech 6.47 22.99 21.25Cert-BusSoftApps 4.38 2.53 2.67Cert-CustService 0.67 0.156Cert-OffAsst/Rec 0.711Cert-BilingOffAsst 0.89Cert-MSApps 2.16 0.80 0.156Bus Tech All Total 27.71 38.83 42.98
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Business Tech All: Gender
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
A67 A78 A89
Year
Enro
llmen
t Cou
nt
FM
Business Tech All:Gender %
0.00%
20.00%
40.00%
60.00%
80.00%
100.00%
A67 A78 A89
Year
Perc
enta
ge
FM
Gender A67 A78 A89 Gender A67 A78 A89F 58 75 80 F 75.32% 77.32% 81.63%M 19 22 18 M 24.68% 22.68% 18.37% Totals 77 97 98
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STUDENT ETHNICITY: ENROLLMENT COUNT + PERCENTAGE
3.8. In 2008-09 white students comprised the largest percentage (around 51%) of student headcount in the Business Technology Program, followed by Asian/Pacific Islander (17%) and African American (15%).
3.9 The percentage of non-white students increased about 12% since 2006-07indicating a positive trend for student diversity. During that time the largest increase for a non-white group was Asian/Pacific Islanders.
3.10 Declines occurred for international and Native American students.
Business Tech All: Ethnicity
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
Ethnicity
Enro
llmen
t
A67A78A89
Business Tech %: Ethnicity
0.00%10.00%20.00%30.00%40.00%50.00%60.00%70.00%80.00%
Ethnicity
Perc
enta
ge
A67A78A89
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Ethnicity A67 A78 A89 Ethnicity A67 A78 A89African American 8 20 15 African American 10.13% 20.00% 14.71%Asian/Pacific Islander 5 10 17 Asian/Pacific Islander 6.33% 10.00% 16.67%Hispanic 4 4 6 Hispanic 5.06% 4.00% 5.88%International Student 2 International Student 2.53% 0.00% 0.00%Native American 4 3 1 Native American 5.06% 3.00% 0.98%Other Race 6 13 11 Other Race 7.59% 13.00% 10.78%White 50 50 52 White 63.29% 50.00% 50.98% Totals 79 100 102
STUDENT AGE: ENROLLMENT COUNT AND PERCENTAGE
3.11 The Business Technology Program attracts a very broad range of student age groups. During 2008-09 the approximate age distribution was: 25% in their 20’s, 16% in their 30’s, 21% in their 40’s, and 24% in their 50’s and 60’s.
3.12 The annual percentages have fluctuated considerably. Between the last two complete academic years (2007-08 and 2008-09) the greatest growth (6 to 8%) was seen for students in their late 20’s, early 40’s, and late 50’s and 60’s. An increasing number of older students are coming for worker retraining.
3.13 These gains were somewhat offset by declines (6 to 7%) for younger students under 20 years as well as older students 35-39 years and 45-49 years.
Business Tech All: Age Groupings
02468
10121416
Under20
20-24 25-29 30-34 35-39 40-44 45-49 50-54 55-59 60-64 65 orAbove
Age Group
Enro
llmen
t
A67A78A89
15
Business Tech All%: Age Groupings
0.00%10.00%20.00%30.00%40.00%50.00%60.00%
Age Group
Perc
enta
ge
A67A78A89
STUDENT ECONOMIC STATUS: ENROLLMENT COUNT + PERCENTAGE
3.14 A large proportion (around 30%) of the Business Technology Program students are considered economically disadvantaged. Compared to 2006-07 this percentage has increased by 5%. Faculty report an increasing number of students need financial aid and are employed.
Std Ages A67 A78 A89 Std Ages A67 A78 A89Under 20 8 11 4 Under 20 10.13% 11.00% 3.92%20-24 15 10 13 20-24 18.99% 10.00% 12.75%25-29 4 7 3 25-29 5.06% 7.00% 12.75%30-34 5 14 12 30-34 6.33% 14.00% 11.76%35-39 7 12 5 35-39 8.86% 12.00% 4.90%40-44 8 6 14 40-44 10.13% 6.00% 13.73%45-49 8 14 8 45-49 10.13% 14.00% 7.84%50-54 8 12 11 50-54 10.13% 12.00% 10.78%55-59 10 8 14 55-59 12.66% 8.00% 13.73%60-64 4 6 8 60-64 5.06% 6.00% 7.84%65 + over 2 65 + over 2.53% 0.00% 0.00%Totals 79 100 102
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Business Tech All: Economically Disadvantaged
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A67 A78 A89
Year
Enro
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t
Y
N
Business Tech All%: Economically Disadvantaged
0.00%
20.00%
40.00%
60.00%
80.00%
100.00%
A67 A78 A89
Year
Perc
enta
ge
YN
ECON_DISAD A67 A78 A89 A67 A78 A89Y 20 22 31 Y 25.32% 22.00% 30.39%N 59 78 71 N 74.68% 78.00% 69.61% Totals 79 100 102
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STUDENT ACADEMIC STATUS: ENROLLMENT COUNT + PERCENTAGE
3.15 A small proportion (approximately 13%) of business technology students are considered academically disadvantaged.
3.16 The headcount of academically disadvantaged students fluctuated over the last three years, but reached its lowest level in 2008-09 (2% below 2006-07).
Business Tech All%: Academically Disadvantaged
0.00%
10.00%
20.00%
30.00%
40.00%
50.00%
60.00%
70.00%
80.00%
90.00%
100.00%
A67 A78 A89
Year
Perc
enta
ge
YN
ACAD_DISAD A67 A78 A89 ACAD_DISAD A67 A78 A89Y 12 27 13 Y 15.19% 27.00% 12.75%N 67 73 89 N 84.81% 73.00% 87.25% Totals 79 100 102
GRADES: FREQUENCY AND PERCENTAGE BY YEAR
3.17 During 2008-09 the highest frequency group was A grades (43%). The second highest frequency group was B grades (16%), followed by dropout/withdrawal grades of V, W, and Z (10%) and grades of N and NC (9%).
3.18 An unfavorable trend is the increased frequency of V, W, and Z grades over the three year period from 2006 through 2009.
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Grade Frequency By Year
020406080
100120140160
* A A- B B- B+ C C- C+ D D- D F I N N P V W Z
Business Tech.
Freq
uenc
y
A67
A78
A89
Grade Percentage By Year
0.00%
5.00%
10.00%
15.00%
20.00%
25.00%
30.00%
35.00%
* A A- B B- B+ C C- C+ D D- D F I N N P V W Z
Business Tech.
Perc
enta
ge
A67A78A89
GRADE COUNTS PERCENTAGESGrade A67 A78 A89 Grade A67 A78 A89* 7 5 6 * 2.17% 1.26% 1.31%A 90 102 135 A 27.95% 25.69% 29.54%A- 47 65 62 A- 14.60% 16.37% 13.57%B 20 17 27 B 6.21% 4.28% 5.91%B- 12 19 24 B- 3.73% 4.79% 5.25%B+ 22 24 23 B+ 6.83% 6.05% 5.03%C 13 3 6 C 4.04% 0.76% 1.31%C- 5 2 8 C- 1.55% 0.50% 1.75%C+ 2 10 7 C+ 0.62% 2.52% 1.53%D 1 4 6 D 0.31% 1.01% 1.31%
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D- 1 2 3 D- 0.31% 0.50% 0.66%D+ 6 3 3 D+ 1.86% 0.76% 0.66%F 16 7 13 F 4.97% 1.76% 2.84%I 6 3 I 0.00% 1.51% 0.66%N 2 3 5 N 0.62% 0.76% 1.09%NC 14 36 37 NC 4.35% 9.07% 8.10%P 46 57 42 P 14.29% 14.36% 9.19%V 2 1 5 V 0.62% 0.25% 1.09%W 11 25 30 W 3.42% 6.30% 6.56%Z 5 6 12 Z 1.55% 1.51% 2.63%Totals 322 397 457
DEGREES AND CERTIFICATES: AWARDS COUNT BY YEAR
3.19 Upward trends are apparent in completion rates for the Certificate in Business technology and the AAAS degree in Business Technology. A relatively small number of AAAS degrees have been awarded compared to the number of students enrolled in the program. The reasons for this are unknown.
3.20 Over the three years from 2006-07 through 2008-09 slight increases occurred for completion of certificates in word processing and MS applications..
3.21 Downward trends are apparent for certificates in Office Clerk and Office Assistant/Receptionist (the latter had no completions in 2008-09).
Degress + Cert A67 A78 A89BTPAll Cert_OffClrk 4 5 2 Cert-OffAsst/Rec 6 3 Cert-CustService 4 5 5 AAAS-BusTech 4 2 7 Cert-WordProc 9 8 10 Cert-BusSoftApps 15 20 15 Cert- BusTech 3 3 9 Cert-BilingOffAsst 9 Cert-MSApps 10 8 12BTPAll Total 55 54 69
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FORMER STUDENT EMPLOYMENT .3.22 State estimates for 2007-08 indicate variable employment rates of 55% and
100% for two groups of program completers (a total of 16 former students) A group of early leavers (11) had a 71% employment rate for 2007-08. These rates indicate the majority of former students find employment in the field, although they experience varying degrees of success.
3.23 Compared to the previous year (2006-07) the 2007-08 state estimates indicate higher employment rates for both early leavers and program completers.
STATE ESTIMATED EMPLOYMENT RATESEarly Leavers 06-07
Early Leavers 07-08
Completers 06-07
Completers 07-08
Bus Tech 67% (8)
71% (11)
37-83% (14)
55-100% (16)
4. ACCESS AND SUCCESS OF UNDER- REPRESENTED STUDENTS
4.1 The Business Technology Program has established I-BEST courses to serve under-represented students (ESL). Enrollment has been modest (under 10 per class) but these students are benefiting from this opportunity and several eventually earned degrees. The number of ESL students in regular business technology classes appears to be declining.
4.2 CEO students are also served by this program. These academically disadvantaged students seem to succeed in their classes.
4.3 Although male students are under-represented in this field and program, faculty notice more male students are earning degrees.
5. CURRICULUM
GENERAL OBSERVATIONS
5.1 The program offers a variety of educational options for students including an AAAS degree and 7 short-term certificates that provide professional upgrade for incumbent workers as well as entry-level skills for new graduates. The curriculum is well integrated with core courses serving both the degree option and various certificates. This helps enrollment and gives students flexibility.
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5.2 The Business Technology degree has 90 credits total. Bus 101 is not a corerequirement for this degree, but adding this as a possible elective would serve students seeking to advance their education or find broader job opportunities.
5.3 Human relations required for the Business Technology Certificate is listed as 5 or 2 credits. For any certificate of 45 credits or more it is generally expected that 30 hours of human relations content are needed to meet accreditation standards.
5.4 The majority of student responses indicate they perceive the program has done well in meeting their individual learning needs and preparing them for employment in the field. Program structure is viewed favorably due to the balance of relevant technical skills and related instruction (communication, human relations, etc.). Many students expressed satisfaction with the distance learning opportunities.
5.5 Some students mentioned the need for more help in highly technical courses (Excel and Access) and thought the workload was excessive. Also, some expressed concern about numerous textbook errors for the WORD course
5.6 Advisory committee representatives gave ratings of 3 to 4 (out of 5) for program alignment with industry needs. They believe the curriculum has a rationale sequencing of courses and reflects trends in the field as permitted by the budget. One deficiency mentioned is the inability to teach a commonly used calendaring and email program (Outlook), which they see as a disservice to students. This would require the college to provide a dedicated exchange server. As an interim remedy, faculty has moved to G-mail for the Office Procedures course.
5.7 Advisory Committee members have emphasized the importance of teaching students about soft skills such as critical thinking, working with diverse cultures, teamwork, good work habits, preparation of resumes and letters of application, web research, and evaluation of online information. This was mirrored in feedback from the recent industry focus group. Faculty has responded in a variety of ways to address these needs.
5.8 Advisory committee members emphasize the importance of internship experience; and faculty sees a need for more Internship opportunities off campus.
5.9 The recent industry focus group recommended adding basic accounting to the curriculum., which will be considered by faculty.
DISTANCE LEARNING (online + hybrid course offerings)
5.10 Distance learning is very prominent in this program. Fully online and hybrid courses are scheduled each quarter. The program offers an online degree, which provides convenience and accessibility for students.
5.11 Student feedback shows these courses are generally well received, especially for
the fully online classes. Students appreciate the flexibility and independence of online instruction and seem to do well. They think teacher feedback is good, although some want more immediate responses and more interaction in class.
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Faculty finds it challenging to teach soft skills and provide effective group work in the fully online courses.
5.12 In hybrid courses the older students experience some difficulty because they want more teacher interaction and individual assistance, especially when facing gaps in their computer skills. Hybrid classes provide up to 12 hr/wk in lab with a teacher or tutor (supported by Perkins funds).
5.13 Clustering of courses is a common practice in the program. Although this is generally satisfactory, it reduces the amount of time and attention the instructor can give to individual students due to the variety of learning needs in the class.
ASSESSMENTS BEING USED5.14 Many strategies are used to assess student learning including quizzes, tests,
timed skill exercises, production of documents, writing assignments, researchreports, and group presentations. Authentic assessment of student abilities and job-related performance is prevalent and provides faculty and students with feedback about attainment of key competencies needed in the workplace.
RECENT COURSE MODIFICATIONS 5.15 All master course outlines for the program have been revised and are in the
electronic format. The following chart reveals extensive curriculum revision to update content and serve under-represented or disadvantaged students over the last three years.
NEW COURSES TITLE NOTES EFFECTIVE DATEBUSTC 110 Beginning Filing I-Best Su 2009BUSTC 114 Human Relations in the Office I-Best Su 2009BUSTC 149 Beginning Excel I-Best Su 2009
REVISED COURSES
BUSTC 103 Speed Keyboarding 1 Sp 2006
BUSTC 104 Speed Keyboarding 2 W 2007
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BUSTC 185 Publisher F 2007
BUSTC 115Fundamentals of Business Communications W 2008
BUSTC 215 Professional Communications W 2008
BUSTC 128 Word 2007, Level 1Changed to newer version of software Su 2008
BUSTC 129 Word 2007, Level 2Changes to new version of software Su 2008
BUSTC 150 Excel 2007Changed to newer version of software Su 2008
BUSTC 160 PowerPoint 2007Changed to newer version of software Su 2008
BUSTC 170 Access 2007Changed to newer version of software Su 2008
BUSTC 112 Filing Su 2009
BUSTC 270 Office Procedures Sp 2009
BUSTC 100 Beginning Keyboarding Sp 2010
BUSTC 102CEO Keyboarding/Computer Survival
Career Education Opportunity – CEO Sp 2010
BUSTC 107 Electronic/Ten Key Calculator Sp 2010
BUSTC 135 Applied Word Processing Sp 2010DEGREES/CERTIFICATES
Certificates of Completion
1. Bilingual Office Assistant (I-BEST)2. Business Software Application3. Customer Service Specialist4. Microsoft Software Applications5. Office Clerk6. Word Processing7. Receptionist-Office Assistant
Awarded 503 certificates last year; second highest for the college. Update each year.
AAAS & Cert. of Proficiency Business Technology
Combine AAAS & Cert of Prof into one Planning Guide; add Bus 103; remove PE W 2010
NOTES:
Bilingual Office Assistant (I-BEST) - 19 credit certific. (low income, mostly ESL) Career Education Opportunity (CEO) - class developed for at-risk young students
who have not completed high school. Non-traditional delivery of courses includes:
- Clustered classes in individualized learning center.- Almost all face-to-face classes are hybrid – use Blackboard.
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- Online courses – fully online certificate and degree.- Mostly online – courses have a few meetings with remainder online.
PLANNED COURSE CHANGES/ADDITIONS5.16 Anticipated changes include updating to Windows 7 in summer 2010 and
moving to Office 2010 in summer 2011, which are needed for program currency.
5.17 There has been some mention about exploring a certificate option for health occupations office support, but this is not presently a program goal.
5.18 Faculty report that a moving to open source, open textbooks as suggested by the Gates Grant and Seattle Foundation King County Consortium for Business Technology would be a major impact on the Business Technology Program.
6. FACULTY
SUFFICIENCY OF FULL-TIME AND PART-TIME FACULTY 6.1 Faculty report that resources are very limited for business technology faculty.
In 2007 one of three full-time faculty retired and the position was not replaced. Then teaching assignments were shifted and the program lost full teaching capacity for one of the two remaining full-time instructors. An annual contract for an associate faculty member was requested, but was not approved. As a result many business technology courses have been staffed by three or four part-time faculty and the tenured faculty has taught moonlight classes.
6.2 Reduced teaching by full-time faculty in the program has been problematic, but it will improve next year when one of the tenured instructors teaches more business technology classes (improving the ratio of full-time to part-time faculty). In 2009-2010 the total annualized load taught by two tenured instructors was 1.22 AnFTEF. Including part-time faculty, a total of 3.6 full-time equivalent faculty taught classes in the program. The overall percent of full-time faculty has been only 35% to 34%, which means the majority of the teaching effort has been conducted by part-time faculty. Ideally more than 50% of the teaching should be assigned to full-time faculty in a program.
FACULTY FALL 2008 – SPR 2009 FALL 2009 – SPR 2010 Annualized FTEF Annualized FTEF
Full-Time Faculty - 2 1.33 /yr 1.22 /yr Part-Time Faculty- 3 2.46/yr 2.38 /yr Total FTF + PTF (FWS) 3.79 An FTEF/yr 3.60 An FTEF/yr
Ratio FTF to PTF (FWS) 35% FTF (65% PTF) 34% FTF (66% PTF)
SUM 2008 SUM 2009All Faculty - Summer 2.7 AnFTEF 1.9 AnFTEF
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RESOURCES FOR COORDINATION WORK6.3 Due to college budget reductions, the release time and position for assistant
dean was eliminated and a program coordination stipend was discontinued. Thus, Marcia Liaw has been performing coordination work on a volunteer basis.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITY 6.4 Business technology faculty attend conferences and seminars off campus,
seek to advance their knowledge of new texts and software for business technology courses, and continue to learn technologies for online instruction.
6.5 Professional development funds are protected by the faculty negotiated agreement ($ 450 per year for each full-time instructor) and some funding is available from the Workforce Education Office. This provides financial support for local workshops and seminars, but it is not enough for national conferences or other costly workshops. Increased funding would enable more continuing education in their discipline.
7. RESOURCESADEQUACY OF FISCAL RESOURCES7.1 Fiscal resources are tight due to ongoing budget reductions for the college.
This limits expenditures to the bare necessities. Faculty believes that support staff for the program is adequate, but finds that overall fiscal resources for the program are inadequate. A full-time faculty position was eliminated as well as stipends for program coordination; and fiscal constraints may also lead to more class cancellations in the future.
7.2 Continuing budget cutbacks result in administrative restructuring that negatively impacts faculty. Over the last several years, the dean to whom the Business faculty report has changed. As division structure has been consolidated the business programs have been moved from one divisional unit to another. Once again for 2010-2011, the business technology program will be merged with another division. With each change in administrative leadership comes the challenge for faculty to help the new administrator learn enough about the program to understand its needs and serve as an informed advocate.
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY7.3 Faculty make every effort to retain currency of curricular content, but limited
resources for purchasing new software and hardware impedes this effort. Fortunately, the college has continued to support the Microsoft campus agreement along with the MSDNAA program. There appears to be a trend to higher utilization of the campus computer classrooms which may lead to scheduling difficulties in the future.
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7.4 Faculty gives low ratings for technical support services (TSS), which was scaled way back. Now repairs cannot be completed in a timely way, which hampers proper functioning of the class computer lab. However, faculty is pleased with hardware upgrade which has been very good.
7.5 Faculty believe the campus servers need to be upgraded or replaced and the budget for online instruction needs to be fortified so there are fewer downtimes. Advisory committee members express concern about the inability of the program to teach current calendaring skills. They suggest the college find a way to save on technology costs in order to purchase an exchange server.
SPACE AND LAB EQUIPMENT7.6 Business technology students benefit from 12 hours per week of access to a
dedicated computer lab with a tutor (supported by Perkins funds). Some students want the lab to be open more hours per week, including Fridays. This may be due in part to dissatisfaction with the library computer lab, which is noisy and poorly managed. Also, students cannot print assignments for Pro-Key Deluxe in the library computer lab.
PURCHASE PLANS 7.7 New hardware will be installed in the computer labs this summer. Also, planned
upgrades include a change to Windows 7 during summer 2010 and a change to Office 2010 during summer 2011.
NEEDS 7.8 The Business Technology program would benefit from access to a dedicated
exchange server so that students can learn current calendaring skills.
8. REVENUE POTENTIALPOSSIBILITIES FOR REVENUE GENERATION8.1 At this time business technology faculty does not have suggestions for
additional revenue generation by their program. They are short-handed and doubt part-time instructors would seek extra employment in contract training.
9. PARTNERSHIPS
ACTIVE PARTNERS9.1 Faculty gave average ratings for advisory committee effectiveness and noted
members tend to give the same feedback from year to year. Committee
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representatives gave higher ratings, but mentioned the committee is a rather passive group. They suggested the committee would be more productive if presented with more issues, problems, and questions for review and comment.
9.2 The Business Technology Program Advisory Committee consistently meets twice per year with variable attendance (3 to 7 participants from outside the college). The 2009-10 membership roster lists 7 members, including one employer, one labor representative, and 5 employees. While these are excellent members, participation is inconsistent. This should be addressed by expanding committee membership, especially the number of employers, to increase attendance and input. Establishing a system of rotating membership terms would ensure a mix of experienced and new members in the future. Faculty report difficulty finding new members, since there are no major employers in the Shoreline area; and thus they seek input from larger employers outside the immediate area. Advisory committee members recommended appointing people who are responsible for hiring (i.e. from human resources or temporary placement agencies).
9.3 It is difficult to get all members to attend meetings; and thus online meetings might be worth consideration. Faculty is interested in having one joint meeting per year with business technology and business administration representatives to discuss the state of the industry (possibly held at a company site).
TARGETED NEW BUSINESS OR INDUSTRY PARTNERS9.4 The Workforce Collaborative College is an initiative supported by local
foundations seeking to establish a consortium of colleges that offer an online business technology degree for low income adults in this region. The proposal is problematic for Shoreline CC because an online degree already exists, but the Collaborative is promoting its own curriculum. Negotiation will be necessary to resolve this matter with minimum disruption and duplication; however, faculty is uncertain about how this problem will be addressed.
9.5 Faculty sees the need to develop other funding sources and industry support/ partnerships; however, they feel unprepared to do this because their time is limited and businesses prefer talking to people with administrative responsibility.
10. SCHEDULE OF CLASSESALIGNED WITH NEEDS OF TARGET POPULATION 10.1 Student feedback on class scheduling is overwhelmingly positive. All classes
are offered online and almost all have hybrid options. Many students are interested in distance learning due to the convenience and accessibility of classes; and online students seem to do well. Evening classes are also available.
10.2 Students offered a few suggestions about class scheduling: Offer more online classes at all times, not just select quarters
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Provide more online courses and hybrid classes in late afternoon or evening Offer daytime option for the most technical courses, such as Excel Avoid combining Word and Keyboarding in one class, because it reduces
Instructor time and help for students
10.3 The annual class schedule indicates one course (BUSTC 270) is offered once per year, but it was recently cancelled due to low enrollment. Canceling a capstone course that is only offered once per year is problematic.
10.4 A significant number of course cancellations occurred during the 2009-10 academic year (Fall = 7; Wtr = 19; Spr = 4). It appears that the quarter class schedule is overbuilt and then cancelled courses are clustered when possible to preserve enrollment. Faculty indicates this prevents class cancellations and ensures student progression. A cluster of courses typically combines up to 8 different sections in the computer lab. Most students do fine with this, although it limits time for the instructor to address content in each section and thus students must be more independent. Student comments on clustered courses included: Less contact and guidance from teacher (attention divided between courses) Students not aware of classmates in their section may feel isolated.
ANNUAL COST 10.5 The 2008-09 annual instructional costs (faculty salary and benefits) for the
Business Technology Program totaled approximately $ 250,097.
Salary Benefits Salary + Benefit TotalsFTF Annual Contracts - 2 $ 63,549 $ 18,086 $ 81,635FTF Moonlight + Summer $ 28,914 $ 4,359 $ 33,273PTF Teaching (SFWSp) $ 101,813 $ 33,376 $ 135,189Total FTF + PTF $ 194,276 $ 55,821 $ 250,097
11. SUPPORT SERVICESCOORDINATION WITH SUPPORT SERVICES 11.1 Advising from the Work First and Worker Retraining offices sometimes
needs improvement. One student seeking assistance from both reported a lack of communication between these areas. Some students were encouraged to make quick decisions without awareness of prerequisite computer skills needed or the workload for some class combinations. Thus, they were ill advised about the number of classes to take in the same quarter and became overloaded.
EFFECTIVENESS OF SUPPORT SERVICES 11.2 Students are predominantly quite pleased with individual advising they receive
from program faculty; and quarterly group advising sessions seem satisfactory.
11.3 Students generally report that e-learning support services are highly effective.
GAPS IDENTIFIED
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11.4 Many students now opt for self-advising, which sometimes leads to problems that are not discovered early enough. Occasionally faculty encounter self-advised students who are off-track on their academic planning. Future implementation of automated degree audits at the college may help to prevent these situations. Also, some older students need more guidance in navigating the college system.
11.5 Students report significant concern with a lab tutor who is unclear, unhelpful, and impatient. Another common complaint is the poor learning environment in the library computer lab.
11.6 Financial aid for textbooks is a significant problem for students. Gaps in funding at the start of the quarter can cause students to wait one to three weeks before purchasing textbooks. Faculty wants a solution for this problem and wonder if vouchers could be allowed for students to purchase books. A related problem is faculty being encouraged to use complementary desk copies as reserve items in the library, which is not an appropriate use of these books.
11.7 A disabled student commented that shuttle vans run by the college lack proper hand rails and are not ADA compliant. As a result, she fell and was injured.
11.8 Students express overwhelming agreement that parking on campus is a significant problem. This difficulty causes frustration and tardiness to class.
11.9 Career guidance seems to be threaded through various classes. Some students are satisfied while others want more information and help with career planning and job search. Students on a 2-quarter fast track indicate they need more help finding job opportunities.
12. FACILITIES12.1 Refer to Resources section (7.3 – 7.8) for detailed information about adequacy of
program facilities. There are plans to improve classroom technology in the upcoming academic year.
13. PROGRAM BUDGET OVERVIEW
FTES EARNED 13.1 Refer to the section on Student Data Trends (3.1).
SOURCES OF INCOME 13.2 The primary source of income is the state general fund operating budget.
Periodically the program or faculty receive supplemental support from federal workforce funds (i.e. Carl Perkins allocation).for a variety of purposes including tutor services, faculty professional development, and curriculum development. I-BEST funding provides more money per full-time equivalent student.
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13.3 College budget reductions affect course offerings in the program and lead to administrative restructuring of the division. Declining resources have impacted negatively on the program and faculty.
PAST YEAR COSTS VERSUS FTES EARNED 13.4 For the most recent complete academic year (2008-09) instructional costs in the
Business Technology Program totaled approximately $ 250,097. Detailed information is provided in the previous section 10.6 (Annual Cost).
13.5 Based on a total of 42.98 annualized FTES generated in state-funded courses during 2008-09, the estimated instructional costs (i.e. total faculty salaries and benefits divided by the total AnFTES) was around $ 5,819 per annualized FTES. (Note: Uncertainty about accuracy of student intent coding warrants caution when drawing conclusions based on this data).
13.6 The annual operating budgets and balances for goods and services are shown in the chart below for 2007-08, 2008-09, and 2009-10. This operating budget combines two programs (Business Technology and Computer Information Systems) and individual program expenses are not evident in this format. The budgeted amount for goods and services was reduced in 2008-09, but a higher year-end balance resulted at that time.
2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 April 2010
Budget Year End Balance
Budget Year End Balance
Budget Current Balance
Goods + Services
$ 6,500 $ 2,086 $ 6,300 $ 3,179 $ 6,300 $ 4,301
14. COMPARISON WITH OTHER PROGRAMS STRENGTHS 14.1 Reasons that students select this program instead of similar programs at other
colleges in the region include convenient location, good reputation, online courses, helpful faculty advising, and referrals from Work Source.
14.2 Faculty indicates the diversity of business technology options provides students a range of employment opportunities. Also, the program offers many online and hybrid courses which are in demand.
14.3 Students gave many positive responses about recommending the program to others. Some older students have reservations about fast track options and technology skills required for success.
14.4 Competition for students is high due to close proximity with community colleges which offer many of the same options. The following chart compares 2008-09 student-to-faculty ratios for business technology at local community colleges. Shoreline CC has the highest S:F ratio (well above the state average):
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College S:F Ratio for 2008-09State CTC average 18.28Shoreline CC 22.12Everett 20.96Seattle Central 20.92Bellevue 20.91North Seattle 18.99Edmonds 17.62Lake Washington Technical 17.38Cascadia 14.45
14.5 Business Technology degrees + certificates vary among local colleges: (refer to following chart)
COLLEGE DEGREES CERTIFICATES BELLEVUE AA- Office Manager
(online)Cert – Admin Asst (48-50 cr) - ONL Cert– Adv. Bus Software Spec (48 cr)-ONL Cert – Bus Software Spec (30-31 cr) - ONLCert – Desktop Publishing for Print and Web (43-44 cr) Cert - Database User Spec (18-20 cr) -ONLCert – Human Resources Asst (48 cr) Cert – Integrated Office Asst for ESL (42 cr)Cert – Marketing Communic.Asst (56-57 cr)Cert – Office Asst (23-25 cr 24-27 cr)- ONLCert – Web Marketing Spec (58-60 cr)
CASCADIA None Cert – Computer Applications Spec (38 cr)Cert – Office Skills Integ w/ABE (19 cr)
EDMONDS ATA – Office TechnologyATA – Office Superv/MgtATA – Med Info TechATA – Legal Office Spec
Cert – Office Technician (50 cr)Cert – Medical Info Technology (44 cr)Cert – Medical Office Clerk (44 cr)Cert – Basic Office Skills (38 cr) Cert – Advanced Office Skills (35 cr)Cert – Basic Office Asst (19 cr)Cert – Basic Technician (15 cr)Cert – Basic Medical Office (15 cr)Cert – Basic Dental Front Office (15 cr)
EVERETT ATA – Bus TechnologyATA – Bus Tech (Legal Office Support)ATA – Bus Tech (Med Admin Support)
Cert – Administrative Support(74-76cr)ONLCert – Office Support (48 cr) ONLCert – Legal Office Asst (84 cr)Cert – Legal Office Support (43 cr)Cert – Med Admin Support (75 cr) ONLCert – Med Receptionist (43 cr) ONL
LAKE WASH AAS – Bus Admin Support Cert – Bus Admin Support (78 cr)Cert – Project Mgmt Support (44 cr)
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Cert – Customer Serv/Prod Support (43 cr)Cert – Office Asst (41 cr)Cert – I-Best Bus Adm Support (32-40 cr)Cert – Publication/Sales/Mktg Suport(35 cr)Cert – Health Office Occup (31.5 cr)Cert – MS Office Applications (27 cr)Cert – Office Occupations (19 cr)
NORTH SEATTLE
AAS – Admin Asst Cert – Admin Asst (62-63 cr)Cert – Legal Admin Asst (45 cr)Cert – Adv Customer Service (41 cr)Cust – Basic Customer Service (21 cr)Cert – Admin Specialist (15 cr)
SEATTLE CENTRAL
AAAS – Bus Info Tech Cert – Bus Info Tech (60 cr)
SHORELINE AAAS – Bus Technology (online)
Cert – Bus Technology (47-50 cr) Cert – Bilingual Office Asst (19 cr)Cert – Bus Software Applic (19 cr)Cert – Customer Serv Spec/Recept (19 cr)Cert – MS Software Applic (19 cr)Cert – Word Processing (19 cr)Cert - Office Clerk (16 cr)
14.6 Although many colleges in the region offer similar degrees and certificates, the Shoreline CC Business Technology program distinguishes itself by being one of only two community colleges in the area to offer an online business technology degree (Bellevue College also does). Another unique feature is clustering of course sections during the day which prevents cancellation of courses. Both Edmonds and Everett offer health occupations administrative support courses, whereas Everett is only local college that offers an option for legal office support.
14.7 Following is a comparison of Fall 2010 class schedules for local colleges that offer business technology courses (note: class titles differ across schools):
Comparison of Class Schedules: Fall 2010
College Online Sections
Hybrid Sections
Campus Only Day
Campus Only Eve
Total Sections
Bellevue 24 3 10 4 41
Cascadia 0 0 0 28 (incld 3 ind proj + I-BEST)
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Edmonds 10 (incld 3 HeaMed)
13 (incld 3 HeaMed)
0 5 28
Everett 2 12 (5 eve) 0 5 (all hybd) 14
North Seattle
0 0 10 7 17
Lake Washington
1 (WAOL) 0 15 0 16
Seattle Central
4 0 15 0 19
Shoreline 12 10 (5 eve) 15 (incld 3 CEO)
18 (incld 5 hyb + 8 indep proj)
50 (incld 8 indep proj)
WEAKNESSES 14.8 The Shoreline Community College Business Technology Program faces distinct
competition from Edmonds, Everett, and Bellevue colleges (the latter offers twice as many online courses, plus an online degree).
14.9 The proposed Cooperative College supported by the Seattle Foundation may be problematic. They are promoting their own online curriculum which has not solicited input from the business technology faculty. Shoreline already has its own online degree, so this potential duplication needs to be addressed
PLANNED CHANGES/PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT 14.10 Refer to Curriculum section 5.16 – 5.18.
15. EMPLOYMENT PROSPECTSINDUSTRY REPRESENTATIVES
15.1 Advisory Committee members indicate the outlook for graduates in business technology seems fairly good because workers in this field are always needed by businesses. Skills learned in the program promote employability and professional improvement
15.2 The recent industry focus group pointed out that job experience is needed to compete for positions in the current labor market. Internships are important to improve employability of program graduates. Also, they stated that job applicants with basic accounting knowledge as well as soft skills will be more likely to secure and retain employment.
15.3 Additional feedback from the industry focus group indicated the position title of secretary is being replaced by the titles of administrative associate or assistant.
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STATE AND LOCAL EMPLOYMENT PROJECTIONS
15.4 The Washington State industry outlook projections from the WTEB High Skills/High Wages Report 2008 identify service industries among the fastest growing (projections to 2030). Professional and business services are predicted to increase by approximately 4.5%. a. Workforceexplorer.com identifies professional and business services
among the top four growth areas in Snohomish County. A favorable job outlook in King and Snohomish counties is reported for most positions associated with Bus Tech AAAS degrees or certificates.
b. Positions identified as high demand in King County are: Office Assistant, Receptionist, Office Clerk, and Administrative Assistant (the latter is also high demand in Snohomish County).
c. Exceptions to this favorable outlook are the following three positions identified as low or no demand in both King and Snohomish counties: Data Entry Clerk and Shipping/Receiving Clerk.
CONSULTANT’S ANALYSIS OF FINDINGS
Analysis of programmatic findings are included throughout this report and referenced in the following section entitled Consultant’s Recommendations.
Institutional issues are reflected in some of the program findings. The following items warrant administrative attention at the college:
Accuracy of student intent codes for validity of statistical data
Access to program data for annual review by VP, dean, and faculty
Criteria and tracking system to assess general education outcomes
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Curriculum Committee criteria for human relations requirement
System for follow-up of former students (workforce and transfer)
Personnel + system to maintain currency, accuracy, and functionality of college website
Technical Support Services difficulty in making timely repairs
Management of learning environment for the student computer lab in the library
Customer service provided by the Financial Aid Office
ADA compliance for college shuttle vans
Program strengths are numerous and include (but are not limited to):
Faculty have strong expertise in their discipline, are effective classroom teachers, and regularly pursue professional development. They demonstrate dedication through active program development, service on college-wide committees, and leadership roles on campus.
Program enrollment has been increasing for three years (2006-2009) and the student to faculty ratio is the highest in the region (well above state average).
Comprehensive development of online curriculum offers classes both online and hybrid face-to-face (day and evening) during all four quarters.
Development of I-BEST instruction and CEO courses supports under-served students. Student diversity is increasing in the program.
Faculty continually update curriculum as college resources permit. All master course outlines have been updated. New hardware in the lab is helpful.
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Faculty provide individualized student support and quarterly group advising
The program has a good reputation, attracting both transfer and workforce students. Bus Tech degree and certificate completion is increasing..
The Business Computer Tutoring Center is staffed with a professional tutor who helps students with their homework 12 hours per week all four quarters.
CONSULTANT’S RECOMMENDATIONS(cross-referenced with elements)
ASSESSMENT (Section 1.1 – 1.3) Create and implement a system to assess program outcomes (including follow-
up on former students) and document actions taken based on findings. Investigate availability of Perkins funds to support this effort.
Create and implement a system to assess general education outcomes and document follow-up actions based on findings
PROGRAM INFORMATION (Section 2.1 – 2.12 + 3.5 + 3.21) Provide administrative assistance to help faculty address findings on accuracy,
currency, congruency, and accessibility of program information on the website. Regular updating of information is needed to better serve students.
Provide support from the Workforce Education Office for updating program brochures (incorporating faculty input).
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Increase publicity for certificates with minimal demand (Office Clerk and Office Assistant/Receptionist) with help from the Workforce Education Office.
STUDENT TRENDS (Section 3.7 + 3.18) Explore strategies to attract more male students (possibly use Perkins funds)
Investigate reasons for the increase in V, W, and Z grades and explore possible early alert system or interventions if needed
CURRICULUM (Section 5.4 + 5.6 + 5.8 + 5.9) Examine human relations content to ensure that certificates with 45 or more
credits have sufficient hours of instruction to meet accreditation standards(embedded content is permitted, as long as it is clearly identified)
Add accounting basics to curriculum (as suggested by industry focus group)
Develop more internships off campus (with advisory committee assistance)
Continue to explore possibilities to teach calendaring skills with Outlook (if exchange server can accessed)
CONSULTANT’S RECOMMENDATIONS (Cont.)
FACULTY (Section 6.2 + 6.3) Increase full-time faculty teaching in the program to at least 50%
Provide coordination stipend if possible (a modest one is better than nothing).If college resources will not support a stipend, then consider providing other privileges or trade-offs for this extra work (consult with faculty union).
RESOURCES (Section 7.4 + 7.8) Provide administrative help in consulting with technical support services
personnel about the need for timely repairs in the class computer lab, as well as possible options to enable teaching Outlook to students
PARTNERSHIPS (Section 9.2 + 9.4) Address the dwindling number of active advisory committee members by
appointing new members who agree to attend regularly. Utilize a tracking system to identify inactive members. Establish membership terms that ensure rotation to provide a mix of former and new members each year (including more
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persons who make hiring decisions). Also, explore use of technology to conduct meetings (i.e. conference calls, video conferencing, etc.).
Provide administrative support to address issues of concern with the proposed College for Working Adults Initiative including duplication of curriculum, severe budget constraints, and faculty rights protected by the negotiated agreement.
SCHEDULE OF CLASSES (Section 10.3 + 10.4) Seek feedback from students about course clustering to determine if any
combinations pose difficulties and consider feedback when planning quarterly class schedules. In clustered hybrid courses, consider informing students of their section classmates and encouraging mutual support and collegial learning.
Retain the capstone class or find alternative learning experiences to replace it
SUPPORT SERVICES (Section 11.1 + 11.4-11.6) Monitor frequency of problems with student self-advising and if necessary
implement email reminders encouraging students to check planning guides
Inform Work First and Worker Retraining staff about advising needs for business technology students
Consult with director of financial aid about support for student textbooks.
APPENDIX
SUMMARY OF RESPONSES
STUDENT SURVEY + FOCUS GROUP
FACULTY INTERVIEW
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ADVISORY COMMITTEE INTERVIEW
COMPARISON OF GROUP RATINGS
INDUSTRY FOCUS GROUP
BUSINESS TECHNOLOGY PROGRAMSUMMARY OF STUDENT RESPONSES
SPRING 2010
Notes: Some students did not respond to every item. This resulted in a variable number of ratings and comments for different questions. DL = online students; F2F = face-to-face (std. focus group); Grad = former students
Number of quarters student attended Shoreline CC: 13-15 qtr 10-12 qtr 7-9 qtr 4-6 qtr 1-3 qtrDL 1 2F2F 3Grad 1 1 3
Total 3 1 1 4 2
How well has the program met your individual learning needs?Rating 5- high 4 3 2 1 - lowDL 2 2
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F2F 2 1Grad 5 1Total 7 5 1
I want more definition of info; must be insistent to get clarity from lab tutor Everyone taking hybrid classes wants contact with a teacher, but this is
very limited in combined classes (students do not know who is in their particular class so colleagial learning is absent unless they aggressively seek out others). One tutor has a very abrupt style, which is a problem for non-native speakers.
There is a presumption that students have certain knowledge about the college system and computers in general, but this is not always the case. Example: I asked the tutor a question and was told I should not be in the class (“You should be taking another class”), even though I was advised to take the class. Sometimes the teacher is absent without a substitute and administrative assistant does not give help if topic is ACCESS or EXCEL. You either get no help or wait a long time for help. Without teacher contact there is no introduction or framing of the material. Significant textbook errors for WORD, some have been identified and some have not. Textbooks for advanced WORD and POWERPOINT are better)
Teacher is clear when in class, but tutor is not as clear and claims instructor says to not give away answers to students – this is denying us an education when we can’t get reinforcement or questions answered in lab.
How well does the program prepare you for employment in the field?
Rating 5 - high 4 3 2 1 - lowDL 3 1F2F 2 1Grad 3 1 1Total 6 4 2
I am using information in field already I am starting internship and get helpful info there Word and Powerpoint are very useful Access and Excel have too much homework to do – I wasn’t forewarned
that so much homework would be required and there isn’t much help for my gaps in knowledge
Online and hybrid courses are not good if your learning style requires more interaction with people
How helpful is program information on the college website or in printed materials you have seen? How could it be improved?
Rating 5 - high 4 3 2 1 - lowDL 2 2F2F 2Grad 4 1 1
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Total 6 5 1
I received information after entering the program – training money available/I had to act quickly two weeks before starting
Website is OK, but a problem if students are not computer savvy.I am concerned about sending email questions – no privacy.
Provide more college catalogs – need printed information if no computer access or power outages.
How did you hear about this program + get needed information?
DL Std: Counselor when I was trying to find out what I wanted to do. DL Std: Went looking for it, and financial help, on campus. DL Std: About this program I heard from Lyubov Braga over 1400 building
and she advised me to make appointment with Marcia Liaw and after that I enrolled to Business Technology Program.
Through my advisor, Marcia Liaw In person, talked to an advisor I heard about the program from Worksource and they recommended I go to
Shoreline. College advisor told me Workforce Office helped me I checked the website
How effective are online and hybrid courses in this program?Rating 5 - high 4 3 2 1 - lowDL 3 1F2F 1 1 1Grad 4 2Total 8 4 1
DL Std: I have been happy with all of my classes except for Access. When I had problems in that subject, the instructor was the only person on campus who could help, but she is rarely on campus. Even the tutor told me to ask the instructor.
After taking math online though I do not think that should be done online. I have way too many issues with it, or at least more forewarned that it will take longer than any online course, which is already time consuming.
I am learning, but not as much as I want (refer to my earlier answer) due to delays in getting answers from teacher
Problems encountered when you can’t always get back into your saved work from class (I hunted and wasted time trying to find my work – later found it was saved to a back-up file)
When no one is available to help with problems in online or hybrid class, it is traumatic (other students have said this also)
Responses from online teachers are good, but we are not certain how long it will take to get an answer
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I think online courses are better than hybrid courses because they are flexible and you get extra help from students in online discussion and bulletin board
What do you like about the program structure and courses?
DL Std: I like that most of the teachers are willing to help. They are very understanding about problems that come up and are willing to work with you. It is all right there for you by the click of a button. Blackboard is very user friendly it is easy to navigate through.
DL Std: I like that I can work from home, when I am ready to work. I like that the focus is on learning rather than taking tests.
I liked the fact that you could work on your own and the assignments were very clear cut.
The online program offers the necessary flexibility to structure class around my schedule
I think both the program structures and courses were well balanced as far as the primary goal of the degree mixed with courses such as Human Relations and Multicultural studies.
I like courses that relate to skills most needed in the job market – I would like to see these offered every quarter. The program gives practical preparation for training respected by employers
DL Std: I like the quick responses I receive from instructorsWhat aspects would you like to change?
I would like more interaction for online courses, since you are just reading all of the lectures.
DL Std: I am happy with it. Less required homework assignments, more extra credit assignments. I can’t think of any at this time DL Std: More information about taking math and/or English classes online.
I do not live near Shoreline at all. Instructors need to know what to tell students about this. I still do not have an answer to this question.
How adequate are the program resources and facilities (information technology, lab equipment, space, supplies)?
Rating 5 - high 4 3 2 1 - low)DL 2 1F2F 3Grad 3 2Total 5 2 4
DL Std: The computer lab is TOO noisy! Too many students using computers to watch videos and play games. And, again, a tutor who can give help in Access is needed.
I only used the resources a few times as I preferred and was able to go home and study
All 3 students agree on a rating of 3
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I go to the library computer lab when they kick you out of the Bus Tech lab, which has limited hours that vary and no Friday time is available. The library computer lab has good equipment but it is noisy and not a good study environment. Monitoring is weak and students use computers to play games, etc. The library computer staff give good technical help but don’t help with content in computer applications
Bus Tech students need a dedicated Bus Tech computer lab on Friday - staffed with people who can help
Technical System problem printing in library lab for Pro-Key Deluxe (OK in computer lab in 1300 bldg)
DL Std: N/A – all my classes are online
Based on your experience in the program, how well does the class schedule meet student needs?
Rating 5 - high 4 3 2 1 - lowDL 4F2F 1 1Grad 6Total 10 1 1
DL Std: I think the class schedule is perfect. It was great for me. I only had to see a counselor once and set up the schedule for the classes I wanted and needed.
DL Std: During school almost all classes scheduled was flexible Except for the first quarter and 1 class in the second quarter which was a
hybrid all my classes were on-line. This suited me fine. Classes outside the technical lab are not spread out enough
(example computer class and bus communication overlap)Combining Word + keyboarding in one class tends to reducethe instructor time and help that you get
What changes in the class schedule are needed?
DL Std: I would like more classes on this schedule. I needed online classes, or hybrid classes that meet in late afternoons or evenings.
DL Std: I think the class schedule is perfect. It was great for me. I only had to see a counselor once and set up the schedule for the classes I wanted.
More online classes offered at all times, not just select quarters. I like the on-line classes as when I start to learn and study I like to “hunker”
down for up to two hours. 50 minutes for a class at the school for me is barely enough time to dig into the subject, but I guess that depends on your class load, work schedule and home life.
I want an alternative to night classes for the most technical courses (such as Excel). A daytime option would enable students to be more refreshed for this tough class.
How effective is the system of student advising?
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Rating 5 - high 4 3 2 1 - lowDL 2 1F2F 2 1Grad 4Total 8 1 1
DL Std: I have only met with my advisor once, although I have communicated with her by e-mail a few times
Good to have someone to hear you and give feedback to, however I did not know I had an adviser until the second quarter
Advising office referred me to the workforce office – I had to make a quick decision and was not aware of or prepared for the workload required for three classes per quarter
Worker retraining office gave very good advising I received good faculty advising for my certif. + /degree
Which support services are highly effective for students?
DL Std: I could email Marcia Liaw and right away she would answer any question that I have. If I was lost on what to do she always had great suggestions. I never had to wait for her to respond. She made it easy for me. I could just e-mail her and ask her a question.
DL Std: Blackboard and e learning support services are highly effective. Personal advising, online registration I am not familiar with support services Great service is availability of PE 200 on campus (wellness offering – l cr.
Per quarter) Advising office referred me to the workforce office – I had to make a quick
decision and was not aware of or prepared for the workload required for three classes per quarter
Worker retraining office gave very good advising – I received good faculty advising for my certif. + /degree
Where do you see gaps or unmet needs in services?
DL Std: As an older adult returning to school, I am often confused about what I need to do when: when should I be registering, do I need to see my advisor, what do I do next, etc. Since a majority of the Bus Tec students are in similar categories, perhaps some extra support/information can be made available.
DL Std: I did not have any problem with services, so for me it is hard to give any suggestion on that question.
More access to online classes, broader selection of online classes. Bus Tech tutoring program is a life-saver – the designated tutor is very
good and responsible. The writing center is very helpful for ESL students I had a bad experience with tutoring for BUS English (2nd or 3rd
week of qtr ) – I saw the tutor only once and sent emails 3 times without getting any responses
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Shuttle Program at Sears – busses not set up for people with disabilities – they need railings (white and tan busses) – not ADA compliant – I was injured trying to enter one of them
Lack of on-campus parking is a real problem –need more spaces. Can’t find parking places – all students present had been late to class when couldn’t find place to park (all stds agree); Lack of lines on the dirt lots cause people to take more space than they should
How helpful was information you received about the field when you were deciding to enter the program?
Rating 5 - high 4 3 2 1 - lowDL 4F2FGrad 3 1 1Total 7 1 1
N/A Decided on my own I decided my own
What career guidance have you received while enrolled in the program?
DL Std: Almost in each class a teacher would recommend a site or guide us in what we want to do with our degree. How to put your resume together, each class at the end had some little project to do which makes you really think what you want to do.
So far, I haven't received any from SCC or the program, except for my initial visit with my advisor when we were deciding which classes I should take.
I didn’t really receive any career guidance. That was one of the things that disappointed me – you had to be part of a program (such as Worker Retraining or WorkFirst, etc.) in order to receive career guidance.
Did not request any I think I could have done something more managerial or “defined”. This
degree just brought my skills up to current. I have been unable to transfer my skills to this job market as an office assistant.
Limited career guidance – it is spread throughout the program inbits and pieces
How informed are you about employment opportunities in this field and how to approach your job search?
Rating 5 - high 4 3 2 1 - lowDL 2 1 1F2F 1 2Grad 1 2 1 1Total 3 3 3 3
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Not really discussed in the beginning, I have been unsuccessful in getting into this job market. Started “interning” in Personnel at the school and this would have been a better lead in to the job market before I got a job at Microsoft and left the internship. The internship would have been a better choice as many job opportunities want someone with “EXPERIENCE” .
I haven’t done much research yet and haven’t had guidanceInternship is where you learn about job opportunities - no job search help has been received in the program. Other classes may have some of this – resumes, interview skills. This is very subtle and not much is given if you are on a 2-quarter fast track.
Why did you select this program instead another college?
DL Std: I was going for nursing and then when I found out nursing was not for me. I heard this program was great and when talking to counselors we set up a plan that worked for me and I slowly followed it.
Location, location, location. I enrolled at Shoreline Community College, because I think that it has the
best program in our state. Convenient location Shoreline's enrollment + advising office is more helpful than Edmonds CC Worksource suggested it I needed the job skills offered here, and location was convenient The ability to get my Accounting degree all online since I am a new mother.
Based on your experience, how likely are you to recommend this program?
Rating 5 - high 4 3 2 1 - lowDL 4F2F 2 1Grad 4 2Total 10 3
DL Std: I think this is a great program. I am so happy to find something I like and something I am good at. I never thought I would get this far in my education but so happy that I have.
I would recommend anyone get their skills up to current levels. I see that as I am an older student I am still way behind in the technology aspects and may never catch up. Older students need this but also a defined field.
It is hard to do this as a fast track student
Other comments:
Internship has really helped me with filing and use of Excel I was urged to apply for Pell Grant by worker retraining office which was
very helpful in securing finances DL Std: who do I contact about math and English questions?
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BUSINESS TECHNOLOGY FACUTY RESPONSES May 5, 2010
Faculty: Marcia Liaw, Professor Karen Toreson, Professor
Interviewer: Karen Demetre, Consultant
Assessment of Student LearningHow do you evaluate attainment of program outcomes ? (tools/measures used and performance levels expected)
Class outcomes meet program outcomes, so passing the class is an indicator to assess whether program outcomes are met.
We need the capstone class which was cancelled this year (probably prematurely). In the future I will recommend thatwe keep this class no matter what enrollment it has.
Faculty are interested in using an exit survey and exit interviewof students to get their perceptions of how well they have achieved program outcomes
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What are your perceptions or thoughts about assessment of general education outcomes in your program?
Criteria for human relations content is not well clarified at the college. No one knows who should be a content expert or the basis for approving courses to fulfill this requirement in prof-tech programs at the college
What are some examples of follow-up action taken by faculty based on findings from assessment of student learning?
Bus Tech faculty are making progress on the Communications general education outcome. We reviewed the college’s general education outcomes, compared those to what students are doing (we looked at student papers and assignments) and then changed some instructors and revised some curriculum.
Program InformationHow could program information be improved in the website or promotional materials? (accuracy, relevance, currency, congruency, accessibility) - Rating 5 to 1 (high to low)
Rating: 2? The college does not have enough resources to keep the
website up to date. Many links don’t work and there is no formally trained webmaster. Current staff are spread thin.
Faculty are not aware of how curriculum or program information is updated on the website.
Student Data TrendsWhat information have you received about student data trends?(enrollment, retention, success, completion, employment)
Faculty have not received much program-specific data on students, and so they keep their own enrollment statistics.
When we have asked for data in the past we were given data that was difficult to understand and wasn’t useful.
Follow-up surveys of former students has been done by the Workforce office in the past, but faculty are not sure if it will be done in the future. Online surveys might be useful to send to former students.
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What factors are supporting enrollment and what factors are negatively impacting enrollment?
Enrollment is supported by students seeking more education during the economic downturn.
The job market is broad and favorable for applicants with these skills
More online and hybrid courses have helped to increase enrollment, as well as changing the name from Office
Administration to Business Technology and updating titles of some positions and courses
Enrollment is hampered by increasing college costs, which are prohibitive for low-income populations
Where in the curriculum do students experience the most success and where are they the least successful?
Clustering of classes saves students and the program. Without this option more classes would be cancelled, students would be turned away, and the program might not survive
A cluster of courses might typically involve up to 8 different sections in the computer lab. This limits the time that the instructor has to address content in each section, so students must be more independent. Most students do fine with this.
The computer center tutor is excellent (funded 12 hr per week by Perkins funds) and is a great factor in student success
Online students seem to do well in the program Hybrid classes spend up to 12 hr/wk in lab with a teacher or
tutor (tutor is not a teacher) The library lab is run by students and the environment is poor
Access + Success of Under-represented StudentsWhat are the special groups of students served by your program and how successful are they?
I-BEST is one group (ESL students) – several of these eventually earned degrees. This is taught by ESL instructor and a part-time Bus Tech instructor.
CEO program is another group of students; the instructor is excellent and the students get a good start
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Overall in regular classes we see a decline of international and ESL students
How have your students changed in recent years? (characteristics and preparation for program)
More males students are getting degrees We see a mixture of students, some come with good technical
skills and some have very basic skills An increasing number of students need financial aid and the
majority of them are employed
CurriculumWhat are your perceptions about the effectiveness of online and hybrid courses in your program? - Rate 5 to 1 (high-low).
Online classes - Rating 5 - students like flexibility and responses from teacher and classmates, but faculty do find it more difficulty to teach soft skills and do effective group work(sometime use telephone for one-on-one help to students)
Hybrid classes – Rating 4 (because of challenges with clustering different sections)
What changes are planned for courses or program curricula including DL, hybrid, pre-requisites, and co-requisites?
Summer 2010- change to Windows 7 Summer 2011- change to Office 2010 Based on recent feedback from the industry focus group, we
should consider adding basics of accounting (5 credits)
FacultyHow adequate are institutional resources for faculty and what are your unmet needs? (number full-time and part-time faculty, coordination work, and professional development) - Rate 5 to 1.
Rating 2 - resources for faculty are limited Program coordination is done by Marcia without pay, although a
stipend was given in the past for this extra work A few years ago teaching assignments were shifted and the
program lost full teaching capacity for 2 of the 3 full-time
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instructors. An annual contract for an associate faculty member was requested, but it was not approved.
Reduced teaching by full-time faculty in the program has been problematic, but it is expected to improve next year
Professional development funds are protected by the faculty negotiated agreement ($ 450 per year for each full-time instructor) and some funding is available from the Workforce Education Office. Faculty have support for one local conference per year, but it not enough for national conferences.
Resources and FacilitiesHow adequate are program resources (information technology, space, lab equipment, supplies, support staff) and what are your unmet needs? - Rate 5 to 1
Rating 2 for technical support, which was scaled way back and now repairs cannot be completed in a timely way. This affects the class computer lab.
Rating 4 for other resources. The plan for hardware upgrade is good and other supoort staff for the program is adequate.
What are the plans for future facility or equipment upgrade, if any? New hardware will be installed this summer in the labs.
Revenue PotentialWhat ideas do you have for developing revenue potential via continuing education, contracts, or grants in your area?
No ideas – faculty are short-handed and no other part-time instructors available for extra work.
PartnershipsHow well does the technical advisory committee function and what improvements would you suggest? – Rate 5 to 1.
Rating - 3
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Committee members give the same feedback from year to year. We face difficulty finding new members, since there are no
major employers in the Shoreline area. We do get some feedback from larger employers outside the immediate area.
It is difficult to get all members to attend meetings. It might be helpful to try some online meetings as well
Faculty are interested in having one joint meeting per year with Business Tech and Business Admin representatives to focus on state of the industry (possibly held off-campus at company site).
What other industry contacts and partnerships are currently utilized by faculty in this program or are targeted for the future?
We are not strong in that area.
Schedule of ClassesBased on your experience in the program, how well does the class schedule meet student needs? – Rate 5 to 1.
Rating of 5 All classes are offered online and almost all have hybrid
options. Many students are interested in distance learning. Evening classes are also available.
Student Support ServicesHow effective is the system of student advising? – Rate 5 to 1.
Rating: 3? Many students now opt for self-advising, which sometimes
leads to problems that are not discovered early enough Some students are ill advised about the number of classes to
take in the same quarter, and they become overloaded. Advising from the Workfirst and Worker Retraining offices
sometimes needs improvement. They have occasionally encouraged tough combinations of classes for students.
Which support services are highly effective for students and where do you see gaps or unmet needs?
Other offices (Workfirst and Worker Retraining) may not be adequately informed about the program
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Financial aid for textbooks is a significant problem for students. Gaps in funding at the start of the quarter can cause students to wait one to three weeks before purchasing textbooks. There is a disconnect between the financial aid office and the faculty in solving this problem for students. Perhaps vouchers could be allowed for students to purchase books?
Another problem is faculty being encouraged to use their complementary desk copies as reserve items in the library.
Comparison with Other ProgramsWhat makes your program unique or different from similar programs in the surrounding area?
Shoreline is one of the few community colleges that offers an online business technology degree (Bellevue also does)
Clustering of course sections during the day is a unique feature Other programs tend to offer similar courses but titles vary
What competition does your program face from other institutions? Many other colleges offer these programs The proposed Cooperative College supported by the Seattle
Foundation is problematic. They are promoting their own online curriculum which has not solicited input from the business technology faculty. Shoreline already has its own online degree, so this duplication needs to be addressed. Faculty is concerned that the proposed population (low income adults) may not be very successful in a fully online curriculum.
Prepared by Karen Demetre, ConsultantProgram Review, Spring 2010
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BUSINESS TECHNOLOGY PROGRAMADVISORY COMMITTEE RESPONSES
May 5, 2010
Participants: Justin Kellogg (committee member 3 yrs) Linda Knight (committee member 5 yrs) Karen Demetre (interviewer)
Assessment of Student LearningHow is attainment of program outcomes assessed? (tools/measures used and performance levels expected)
Completion of courses, grades, and employment are indicators We have not reviewed student data for the program A 3-month follow-up of former students would be helpful
CurriculumWhat are the major strengths of this program?
Rationale sequencing of courses Keeping up with trends in the field, as permitted by the budget Creative on clustering courses to preserve enrollment
Based on your experience as a TAC member, how well is the program curriculum aligned with industry needs? - Rate 5 to 1 (high-low).
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Rating - 3 Rating - 4 The curriculum meets industry needs except that it is not able to
teach a commonly used calendaring and email program. The college lacks technical ability to deploy Outlook for use by students. This is a big disservice and G-mail is not sufficient.
What recommendations do you have for the program to better meet emerging industry needs?
An exchange server is needed to address this deficiency.
Resources and FacilitiesHow adequate are program resources (information technology, space, lab equipment, supplies) and what are the unmet needs? - Rate 5 to 1.
Rating – 4 (both members) I haven’t been into the lab It has been a long time since I have looked at a computer lab, but I
know that technical support services staff try hard to be helpful The greatest concern is the inability to teach calendaring skills
The college should investigate a cost-effective way to save on technology costs so that they can afford an exchange server
PartnershipsHow well does the technical advisory committee function and what improvements would you suggest? - Rate 5 to 1.
Rating – 4 (both members) The committee seems like a rather passive group It is hard to recruit members, but the committee needs more
people responsible for hiring (i.e. members from human relations or a temporary placement agency)
The committee would be more productive if the faculty would bring issues, problems, and questions to us for review and comment
Comparison with Other ProgramsWhat makes this program unique or different from similar programs in the surrounding area?
I am not familiar with other programs in the region
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Employment ProspectsHow would you describe the regional employment outlook for graduates of this program? (high and low demand areas)
The outlook for graduates in business technology seems fairly good Workers in this field are always needed by businesses The skills learned in this program focus on employability and
professional improvement
Prepared by Karen Demetre, Program Review ConsultantShoreline Community College – Spring 2010
COMPARISON OF GROUP RATINGSBUSINESS TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM
SPRING - 2010
Curriculum:How well is the program curriculum aligned with industry needs?Rate 5 to 1 (high to low)
Rating 5 - high 4 3 2 1 - low)FAC 1 1TAC 1 1
Faculty and advisory committee ratings are mixed, but fall in a positive range.
What are your perceptions about the effectiveness of online and hybrid courses in your program? - Rate 5 to 1 (high-low).
Rating 5 - high 4 3 2 1 - low)STD 8 4 1FAC 2
Student ratings on the effectiveness of online and hybrid courses are somewhat higher than faculty ratings for this element.
Resources and Facilities:
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How adequate are program resources (information technology, space, lab equipment, supplies, support staff) and what are your unmet needs? - Rate 5 to 1
Rating 5 - high 4 3 2 1 - low)STD 6 2 4FAC 2TAC 2
Students ratings are mixed, but generally fall in a favorable range. Advisory committee ratings fall within this range. Faculty, however, give much lower ratings indicating dissatisfaction with resources and facilities. .
Partnerships:How well does the technical advisory committee function and what improvements would you suggest? – Rate 5 to 1.
Rating 5 - high 4 3 2 1 - low)FAC 2TAC 2
Advisory committee members believe that the committee functions fairly well, whereas faculty ratings are lower, indicating room for improvement.
Schedule of Classes:Based on your experience in the program, how well does the class schedule meet student needs? – Rate 5 to 1.
Rating 5 - high 4 3 2 1 - low)STD 10 1 1FAC 2
Faculty and student ratings of class scheduling are fairly well aligned. A couple students gave somewhat lower ratings.
Student Support Services:How effective is the system of student advising? – Rate 5 to 1.
Rating 5 - high 4 3 2 1 - low)STD 8 1 1
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FAC 2
Faculty and student ratings of student advising are not well aligned. Faculty ratings are lower, indicating issues that require attention.
Business Technology ProgramBusiness Focus Group
April 30, 2010Focus Question:
“How closely aligned is our Business Technology program with the needs of local employers and what adjustments – if any need to be made?”
Agenda:1. Welcome , introductions2. Overview of the focus question and the plan for the group3. Introduction of Karen Demetre4. Conversation on trends in business5. Review of the Program
Intent Core competencies Occupations Wages Other
6. Wrap – up and reflection
Participants:1. Susan Collins Principal and head Coach, Empowerment enterprises2. Alok Chakrabarti, Senior Executive, SarangSoft Corp3. Jeff King, CEO, Cascade bank, Shoreline4. Pam Gee-Oliver, Director of Human Rsources, BIO-RAD Corporation, Redmond5. Cathy Capers, Director Business Operations, First Choice Health6. Marcia Liaw, Faculty
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7. Karen Toreson, Faculty8. Bob Shields, Faculty9. Dave Cunningham, Dean of Workforce and Continuing Education10. Kenny Lawson, Academic Dean11. Mark McVeety, Small Business Accelerator12. Karen Demetre, Consultant for Program Review project13. A delegation of five visiting Chinese College Presidents
Introduction:The focus group began with introductions and a general discussion on matters of current concern for small businesses. This discussion finally settled on entry-level competencies that employers expect and on some of the related issues that concern employers in these times. These are summarized in the following chart.
Required Core Competencies and Base-Line Knowledge
Additional Competencies requiredOf the entry-level admin assistant
Knowledge of current business practices
Demonstrate how to gain cooperation through careful management of emotions
Proficient in use of standard office technologies
Demo basic skills in negotiation and presentations
A capacity to prioritize work assignments and work schedule
Able to discern differences in preferred communications styles of others.
Ability to organize work, time and electronic files efficiently
Being goal oriented
Able to plan office work carefully Values differenceProficient in standard MS Office software
Being progressive and forward thinking in work practices
Able to manage information effectively
Shows active listening skills
Demonstrated ability to work well with others
Know that respect for others is non-negotiable
Solid interpersonal skills Manage expectations of othersAbel to communicate clearly in writing, electronically, and face to face.
Understand confidentiality and why discretion is important
How to tactfully say “No.”How to be pro-active in interpersonal communicationsRecognize value of giving positive feedbackBasic Software includes PDF and being current with current versionsKnowing about the breadth of software applications available and what is coming
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Key:
Aware of standards being used by others Recognize ‘different types of talk,’ between different company departmentsDeal with stress in communicationsKnow how to standardize servicesRecognize value of having standardized processesDescribe role of personal networks in problem solvingKnow that not everyone has emotional intelligenceNo complaints = + feedback!Appreciate importance of propriety informationKnow about intellectual property – if not yours, don’t share it.Know about different personality stylesPractice patience
Most important Know about company’s use of language
Valid Target Occupations:Office Assistant: Customer Service Rep: Receptionist: Office Worker: Business Office SpecialistAdministrative Assistant with company CEO. (Secretary – no longer a valid title)The group did emphasize that entry-level workers without some business experience were at a big disadvantage since most companies do have the pick of the field at this time. Some focus group members made it clear that a job applicant without experience would not be considered for interview. If this attitude is reflected across industry, then it would appear that some internship credits should be introduced into this program – if only to increase the chances a graduate will be hired on completion of the program.
Starting wages: $10-$12/hr; New hire must demo ability to keep a job; later prospects $16-$24/hr.Based on the discussion about wages it seems clear that any new office hire must first demonstrate their work ethic is strong and that they can do the job according to the company’s expectations before they can expect any raises or other commitments. The mean wage in Washington State for entry level office workers is just over $15.00/hour.
Some general comments from the discussion:Some issues of note include the new healthcare legislation and its potential impact on small businesses; the tension between the new ‘texting’ generation and the Baby Boomers who communicate in more traditional ways; lots of anxiety and uncertainty in the labor market; many lower paid workers are seeking two to three jobs to get by; this population has difficulty fitting in classes to a busy life style.
Message for young people who are about to enter the workforce:1. Know how to learn and be willing to learn.2. Be flexible and realize you must deal with the public face to face.3. Your attitude and tact with others are paramount attributes
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4. Teamwork will be expected of you.5. You usually must prove yourself, your capabilities and your work
ethic before you can expect improved pay and benefits.
To the older worker:1. You may need to work harder to communicate with younger workers.2. The blackberry may be the new medium for communication. Get
one.3. Team work and project work are the new norms in the workplace and
that may mean working alongside and with the new ‘texting’ generation
4. Online distance education is going to become a new norm for all workers.
5. Without the soft skills, new employees will not last. Relationships with the all important customer, inside or outside the company are paramount.
6. Most companies want experience as well as a college degree so get used to starting at a lower wage until you establish yourself as a valued employee.
7. Accounting is needed at least in basic format, Acct 101. It should be a requirement for this program.
Other general comments:New hires should be able to research a company prior to interview and be able to read and adjust to the company’s culture. Style, language, hidden meanings, values, dress, expectations of management and communication styles are all important aspects of the culture that can determine if a person will last or leave early. Each company and state agency has its own culture and until a new hire gets oriented to the new norms – their future with the employer must be in doubt. Those that adapt, prevail and grow. Those that don’t – move on.
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