Santa Ana College Student Services

Transcription

1 Santa Ana College Student Services Planning Portfolio Counseling Division Department

2 Santa Ana College Student Services Student Success and Learning Outcomes Framework Santa Ana College Mission Statement The mission of Santa Ana College is to be a leader and partner in meeting the intellectual, cultural, technological, and workforce development needs of our diverse community. Santa Ana College provides access and equity in a dynamic learning environment that prepares students for transfer, careers, and lifelong intellectual pursuits in a global community. Student Services Mission Statement To promote and maximize student access, higher education goal confirmation, equality of opportunity to succeed, advance, and complete a program of study at Santa Ana College. Department-Unit Mission Statement The mission of the Santa Ana College Counseling Department is to promote student success, facilitate proactive educational planning and lifelong learning, serve and enrich our diverse community, encourage innovation and maintain excellence in all aspects of academic, personal, and career counseling. As student advocates, counselors work collaboratively with faculty, staff, and administration to support the goals of the college. Department Key Activities or Goals 1. Form 3SP Committee and Work Groups to revise policies, procedures and data collection needs for successful implementation of Student Success and Support Program. 2. Support division functioning and student service delivery through use of technology, including implementation of online orientation and development of electronic education plan. Department/Unit Student Learning Outcomes (1-2 year) 1. Students will increase their understanding of academic and progress probation 2. Students will increase their knowledge of how to get off of academic and progress probation 2 Page

3 SANTA ANA COLLEGE STUDENT SERVICES - Current Counseling Division Administrative Secretary ANA CAMPOS Dean of Counseling, Matriculation Co-Chair Dr. Micki Bryant Administrative Secretary DIANE CAUGHERN Transfer Center Counseling Center Counselors Counseling Counter Staff Center for Teacher Education* Coordinator/Counselor MARTHA VARGAS (Co-Chair) Student Services Coordinator VANESSA OROZCO Transfer Center Specialist VACANT.475 FTE / ROCIO ZAMUDIO (ST) MARIBEL PINEDA.475 FTE Transfer Center Specialist for USDA Grant EVA PALOMARES.475 FTE MARIBEL PINEDA.475 FTE Transfer Center Specialist for Adelante/Lumina Grant JUDY BENAVIDEZ.475 FTE SHERRI BLAKE ANGELA BROWN JOANNA CAMPOS MARY CASTELLANOS (Co-Chair) ROBERT GALLEGO DENNIS GILMOUR (THU) VAN NGUYEN REY ROBLEDO DENNIS SADLER U-Link Coordinator ROCHELLE POLANCO-ZOOK Puente Coordinator REINA SANABRIA Articulation Officer (Certificated) PAULA CANZONA Intermediate Clerk JACQUELYN SHIRLEY Counseling Assistant VACANT.475 FTE KIMBERLY VELAZQUEZ.475 FTE MARGIE CASTELLANOS.475FTE Testing Center* Coordinator/Counselor BEVERLY BIRNBAUM Test Proctor CANG NGUYEN VACANT.475 FTE LUPE SAAVEDRA.75 FTE Coordinator/Counselor STEVE BAUTISTA Student Services Coordinator KALONJI SATERFIELD TUAN NGUYEN Transfer Center Specialist NANCY NGUYEN.475 FTE HAYDEE GONZALEZ.475 FTE Career/Job Resource Center* Career Guidance Coordinator MARISELA GODINEZ Professor/Career Specialist SANDY MORRIS.65 FTE MESA Coordinator/Counselor CATHERINE SHAFFER Assessment Assistant GIANG VU Instructional Center Technician LUPE FUENTES EVANGELINE CONTRERAS.75FTE Career Technician LINDA MORPHEW.375 FTE Intermediate Clerk LISA GOMEZ.475 FTE VACANT.475 FTE Student Services Coordinator SUZANNE LOHMANN

4 Department Functions and Mission Functions and services provided by the department: The Counseling Division provides a variety of services and specialized programs through which students are brought into the instructional program and provided with assistance in meeting their educational objectives. It is the primary hub through which newly mandated Student Success and Support Program (3SP) services will be offered to students as these regulations go into full effect in The major services offered include the following: Academic Advisement Counseling assistance is provided for students in choosing a program of study and creating an educational plan Career Planning Guidance is offered as students develop their career goals and plan for the educational preparation that is needed to attain those goals Orientation Services An introduction to the college procedures, services and educational planning is provided by counselors in a group setting, through courses, or in online formatt for those students seeking an AA degree or certificate, who plan to transfer to a four year university, or seek to improve basic skills Personal Counseling Counseling for personal concerns that may be affecting students academic progress is offered, with an emphasis on short term problem-solving Counseling Instruction A variety of counseling course offerings cover areas such as orientation to college resources, policies and educational planning; self-exploration and career choices; strategies and study skills for college success; university research for transfer; and further personal and more specific professional development (i.e., leadership, skills for the helping professions). Transfer Services Specialized transfer services, including university representative appointments, career fairs, field trips, transfer agreements (TAGs), orientations for transfer planning, and university application workshops. In addition, several specialized programs operate under the Counseling Division to provide students with academic support, listed below. SPECIAL PROGRAMS WITHIN THE COUNSELING DIVISION University Transfer Center The University Transfer Center provides information and assistance to students preparing for transfer to baccalaureate granting institutions. Transfer services include college fairs and appointments with university representatives at Santa Ana College, as well as university field trips. Workshops are also offered on UC and CSU admissions requirements and application procedures, and assistance in applying for scholarships and financial aid. Center for Teacher Education 4

5 The Center for Teacher Education is a resource center that offers information, academic advisement, and support for students interested in pursuing a career in teaching, with an emphasis in preparing students for employment in local public elementary and secondary schools. MESA Mathematics, Engineering and Science Achievement MESA is an academic program designed to support educationally disadvantaged community college students seeking university transfer to a four-year institution while majoring in one of the fields of engineering, computer science, mathematics, and physical/life sciences. MESA students are provided with unique support services emphasizing academic and professional growth. University Link U-Link is a transfer admissions program for academically qualified high school students to attend Santa Ana College with guaranteed admissions to the University of California, Irvine. Learning community cohort classes and activities to support students development, such as cultural events, parent night and service learning experiences are an integral part of the program. Puente Program Puente provides students with accelerated writing instruction, sustained academic counseling, and mentoring by professionals from the community. Students are enrolled in a learning community cohort of English and counseling courses for both semesters. Freshman Experience and Learning Communities II Freshman Experience and Learning Communities are an innovative interdisciplinary approach to traditional course offerings, created by linking courses in skill development, often with a counseling course to provide academic support for students. The program helps develop essential academic skills and eases the transition and adjustment of new students to college environment. Additional learning community courses are offered for students who continue into their second year. Population to be served (description and size): The Counseling Center is open to all students at Santa Ana College, whether they are seeking to improve their skills, obtain a certificate, complete an AA or AS degree, and/or transfer. SAC enrollment of students eligible to receive counseling services during the period of this report was 16,887 students. The Counseling Center data indicates that 4,857 appointments were provided during this period, and 12,554 students visited our drop-in hours to see counselors (duplicated). Although counseling services are open to students in Continuing Education and EOPS programs, counselors dedicated to those students are also available within the respective programs. 5

6 In addition, many of the specialized programs mentioned above offer more intensive support to students whose educational objective is to transfer to a four-year university, some of whom are interested in specific fields (such as teaching or the sciences). Demographics Below is the ethnic distribution for SAC, which has strong Latino majority, with secondary populations of Caucasian and Asian students (primarily Vietnamese), which reflects the surrounding community demographics. Although the Counseling Center does not keep records of demographics, it is interesting to note that a higher proportion of Latinos enroll in our Counseling courses, (85%) than in the general population (64%). Age differences are also apparent, as 72% of those taking counseling courses are under the age of 20 years, compared to 21% of the total SAC population. This is the highest proportion by far relative to other courses, with the next highest courses for students under 20 years being the areas of intramural athletics (66%), sports medicine (53%), criminal justice (52%), Dance (50%), English (49%) and Math (45%). This trend may reflect the greater need for younger students to seek the self-awareness and career guidance offered by our counseling courses that can lead to selecting the best match of students interests, values and goals, with their educational objectives. Counseling courses also attract a higher proportion of females (53%) than the general population (43%). 6

7 Student Learning and Program-Specific Outcomes Please describe and quantify Student Learning Outcomes (SLO s) and the application of the data to program planning and resource allocation. Student Learning Outcomes SLO Students will increase their understanding of academic and progress probation Students will increase their knowledge of how to get off of academic and progress probation ACTIVITIES & TIMELINE Students who are on their first semester of academic and/or progress probation are notified of their status and are required to attend a counselor-led Probation Workshop before being allowed to register for subsequent semesters. Workshop includes didactic presentation and individual assessment of students transcripts. All students who attended the workshops (393) were surveyed. Students who are on their first semester of academic and/or progress probation are notified of their status and are required to BASELINE & PROGRESS TARGETS (Include data sources) Pre and post-test surveys are given to all Probation Workshop participants to measure the increase in understanding of probation. Baseline: While a range of some understanding is expected due to letter explaining probation, probation and previous interactions with counselors, peers, etc., the increased understanding baseline = 0% Progress Target: Increase understanding by 20% Pre and post-test surveys are given to all Probation Workshop participants to measure the increase in understanding of probation. ANALYSIS of DATA Results indicate that students understood academic probation initially better than progress probation. The percent increase for understanding academic probation was 28%, while it was 72% for progress probation. Progress target for increased understanding was exceeded. Students showed a significant increase (55%) in their knowledge of how to get off of probation, exceeding the APPLICATION OF DATA The larger increase in understanding of progress probation was somewhat expected due to lack of enforcement of progress probation policies in the past, which are now being enforced. Results will be used to incorporate a greater emphasis on explaining progress probation policy to students during advising sessions. This positive result supports the continued use of this counselor-led, inperson intervention for at-risk students. NOTES All seven questions showed positive results, with increased understanding and knowledge ranging from 23% to 72% (see specific questions and charted responses below). Follow-up research will be conducted to track students on probation who attended the 7

8 attend a Probation Workshop before being allowed to register for subsequent semesters. Workshop includes didactic presentation and individual assessment of students transcripts. All students who attended the workshops (393) were surveyed. Baseline: While a range of some understanding is expected due to letter explaining probation and previous interactions with counselors, peers, etc., the increased understanding baseline = 0% Progress Target: Increase knowledge by 40% progress target. Although development of an online probation workshop was considered, results indicate that the current intervention is very successful for our students, who may benefit from a counseling relationship vs. online delivery of information. However, an online option may be considered as a supplement in the future. Probation Workshop versus those who did not to assess their persistence and academic success over time. Pre-Test Post-Test Increase in Survey Results Survey Results Perceived Probation Orientation Survey Question N=393 N=393 Knowledge Yes No Yes No Increase 1 Do you know the definition of academic probation? 72% 28% 100% 0% 28% 2 Do you know the definition of progress probation? 27% 73% 99% 1% 72% 3 Do you know how to get off academic or progress probation for the following semester(s)? 44% 56% 99% 1% 55% 4 Do you know where to go to receive Math, English and other academic free tutoring services? 77% 23% 99% 1% 23% 5 Do you know how to calculate your grade point average? 50% 50% 98% 2% 48% 6 Do you know the procedures to repeat an academic class for the third time? 36% 64% 99% 1% 63% 7 Do you know how to read your transcripts? 75% 25% 99% 1% 24% 8

9 120% 100% 100% 99% 99% 99% 98% 99% 99% 80% 60% 40% 20% 72% 27% 44% 77% 50% 36% 75% Pre Post 0%

10 A. Please describe & quantify Program-Specific Goals and describe how the data linked to progress on goals will drive planning and resource allocation. The goals highlighted for this year included those most relevant due to the impending implementation of the state mandated Student Success and Support Program (3SP). Program Specific Goals GOAL Form 3SP Committee and Work Groups to revise policies, procedures and data collection needs for successful implementation. Collect data for continuous evaluation and improvement of existing and potential counseling and teaching services. Expand student probation system and intervention to include Progress Probation in addition to established procedures ACTIVITIES & TIMELINE Begin Fall 2013 with central committee to revise counseling services, forms and procedures across all campus departments. Begin Spring 2014 to institute use of SARS wherever needed and re-code/map codes for successful MIS data collection. Train all FT and PT counselors and Front Desk staff on new procedures. Probation Workshops have been designed and implemented as an intervention for students on probation. Initial BASELINE & PROGRESS TARGETS (Include data sources) Baseline and progress targets are less data driven for initial revision of forms and procedures needed for service delivery under new 3SP regulations. Pre and post-test surveys are given to all Probation Workshop participants to measure the increase in 10 ANALYSIS of DATA SARS data is being collected beginning Summer 2014 for MIS submission to state, and will yield vital information in the coming year. Results indicate that students understood APPLICATION OF DATA to Program Design and Resource Allocation Data regarding services provided to students and those meeting requirements will be forthcoming in the next year. The larger increase in understanding of progress probation was somewhat expected due to lack of NOTES All seven questions showed positive results, with increased

11 for Academic Probation, due to requirements of 3SP and need to expand services for at-risk students. Support division functioning and student service delivery through use of technology. efforts targeted students in their 2 nd semester (A2) due to large numbers of students, but has now shifted to those in their 1 st semester (A1) for earlier intervention. Progress Probation will be included for the first time in several years, in compliance with the 3SP program requirements and district policy. understanding of probation. Baseline: While a range of some understanding is expected due to letter explaining probation, probation and previous interactions with counselors, peers, etc., the increased understanding baseline = 0% Progress Target: Increase understanding by 20% academic probation initially better than progress probation. The percent increase for understanding academic probation was 28%, while it was 72% for progress probation. Progress target for increased understanding was exceeded. enforcement of progress probation policies in the past, which are now being enforced. Results will be used to incorporate a greater emphasis on explaining progress probation policy to students during advising sessions. understanding and knowledge ranging from 23% to 72%. Future plans include tracking students who have attended Probation Workshops and compare with those who did not attend for overall success (GPA), persistence and completion over the long term. a) An external vendor (Cynosure) was contracted to develop an Online Orientation product for SAC to supplement and/or replace counselor orientations where appropriate, increasing counselor availability for other direct student services. Also addresses needs of distance education students. Created a counselor Work Group led by Joanna Campos to provide feedback on content for the online orientation. Work Group began in summer and continued through the spring with launch expected in mid to late spring semester. Baseline was 0%, as there was no previously existing online orientation. Progress Target was completion of program, which is now launched. The orientation includes questions for student learning outcomes, which will be analyzed in the future. We will also be able to track the student usage. Data from the SLOs and usage will help inform the degree to which online orientation could be used in place of in-person orientation. However, current plans are that this will supplement existing structure of placement testing, orientation and advisement, which enables students to have all 3 elements of 3SP core requirements met in one session (following testing). 11

12 b) Consulting contract is proceeding with Ellucian to implement an electronic education plan following concomitant degree audit work conducted through A&R. Counselor/articulation officer feedback is crucial to ensure alignment with our systems degree audit. Seek adequate certificated and classified personnel and continue to explore program redesign to meet the service delivery needs of students, especially in face increased service needs under 3SP. Expected completion date is sometime in ; timeline not yet established by ITS. Counselors and Articulation Officer will be involved in development of the instrument. This year 2 full time counselor positions were added, which will assist with providing additional 3SP services required. Additional 3SP funding will also enable the hiring of more PT counselors. Baseline was 0%, as there was no previously existing electronic ed plan. Progress Target is completion of program, which is tentatively set for next year. Funding and Faculty Obligation Numbers will drive the target for permanent faculty positions in counseling. Although the primary purpose is to make educational planning more efficient and information stored and retrieved effectively, data may eventually assist with academic course scheduling. This resource is needed for effective educational planning with students, and is supported as a viable allocation of 3SP funding. 12

13 Student Services Program Effectiveness Review THIS SECTION IS UPDATED ANNUALLY, AND COMPREHENSIVELY ON A TRIENNIAL BASIS Program: Counseling Division Submitted By: Micki Bryant Date: Brief Program Summary/Purpose: Area I: Environmental Scan: Provide highlights of the most significant trend data, student input, strategic planning efforts, and other activities or environmental impacts that were a significant part of the current year. Counseling Curriculum Counseling instruction constitutes a substantial vehicle by which students receive vital services, such as orientation and educational plans, as well as self -understanding and personal development that lead to the successful identification of career and academic goals. Academic and personal support in a structured classroom setting also assist students to work through personal obstacles, and to develop the necessary study strategies and academic/life management skills that enable lifelong learning and success. Annual course offerings for 15 Counseling courses approximate 130 LHE in 121 course sections, which produced 316 FTES last year. The course success (pass) rates of 75% overall for the division are consistent with the overall SAC course success rate of 73%. These courses are taught both as separate sections and as part of a cohort for Freshmen Experience or Learning Communities II courses, where courses are paired with those for various levels of development of English and Math, in addition to pairings with sciences (such as biology, chemistry), and social sciences (such as psychology, sociology). Some cohorts are designated by special program, including those for U-link, Puente, CFTE, and MESA, and Fast Track courses geared towards accelerating students through basic skills courses with counseling support. Our most popular course, Counseling 116, was also offered in both online and hybrid formats throughout the year. Beginning in , the Counseling Department began conferring Associate in Arts Degrees in Community Social Services. Through 2013, 23 CSS AA degrees have been awarded. Counseling 150, Introduction to Human Services and Counseling 155, Skills for the Helping Profession are offered as part of this degree. Due to the leadership of the Counseling Division in the state mandated re-design of the Liberal Arts major and areas of emphasis, Counseling provides oversight of the 235 Liberal Arts AA degrees awarded as of 2013, although courses comprising the degree are taught throughout other academic disciplines. This year, additional courses were developed and approved in response to the need to ensure that students under the new 3SP requirements receive informed comprehensive educational plans in a 13

14 timely manner. Pilot courses were conducted as special topics 198 courses, and were approved for implementation beginning in as CNSL 90 Academic Success; CNLS 103 Educational Planning; and CNSL 104 Personal and Goal Development for Successful Educational Planning. Counseling 144, formerly cross-listed with Phil 144 as Critical Thinking, had not been taught for several years following the retirement of a full time counselor who taught the counseling version of the course, and due to disagreement between faculty in the respective departments as to who should teach the course. This was resolved in by uncoupling the courses, and a redesigned CNSL 144 course, Reasoning and Problem Solving, was approved. This new course will be offered this fall, and will help fill a vital need for a critical thinking course requirement that had been dormant for too long. Freshman Experience / Learning Communities II Interdisciplinary Program The Freshman Experience / Learning Communities II Program is a now in its eighteen year and continues to be a model program not only for Santa Ana College but also within the California Community Colleges. The program was selected for the Exemplary Program Award from the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges for the theme of Student Success: Programs Engaging First Year Students, and was selected to be included in the updated version of the Poppy Copy, a statewide guide widely used by CCC s to develop success strategies to meet the needs of basic skills students. The table below shows that the program has consistently demonstrated significantly higher semester to semester persistence rates than for freshmen not enrolled in the program. Santa Ana College Freshmen Experience Program Semester to Semester Persistence Cohort 2nd semester 3rd semester 4th semester 5th semester 6th semester Fall 2009 (n=528) 84% 63% 60% 47% 44% Fall 2010 (n=517) 85% 67% 65% 54% 51% Fall 2011 (n=573) 86% 71% 64% 47% 47% Fall 2012 (n=519) 88% 70% 66% Fall 2013 (n=493) 84% source: Research Department Data Warehouse Santa Ana College Persistence Rates of New Freshmen at SAC Cohort 2nd semester 3rd semester 4th semester 5th semester 6th semester Fall 2009 (n=3737) 55% 41% 37% 29% 27% Fall 2010 (n=2670) 63% 46% 42% 25% 23% Fall 2011 (n=2688) 73% 59% 52% 43% 39% Fall 2012 (n=3208) 70% 54% 48% Fall 2013 (n=3074) 72% source: Pathways of Student Persistence and Performance at SAC/Research Department Data Warehouse 14

15 Although FEP cohorts do not always outperform pass rate departmental averages, they do so the vast majority of the time, often to a significant degree. Although recent data is not yet available, in , 78% of the FEP English classes outperformed departmental averages, and 75% of the FEP Math classes outperformed departmental averages. FEP courses are particularly successful in basic skills courses, with the notable exception this year of English 060 in the fall semester only, and Math N48 in spring. This provides some evidence for the fact that the counseling support is critical for increasing the Math and English success rates, while maintaining departmental success rates that are above average for all courses (approximately 68% overall). Additional Spring 2013 data from our newly developed FEP Faculty survey also demonstrates success in positively impacting the academic behaviors of basic skills students, the professional development of basic skills faculty, the connection between Counselors and Instructional faculty, and their instructional practices with basic skills students. 87% of FEP Faculty strongly agree/agree that the skills of their students improved as a result of being in the program. 94% of FEP Faculty strongly agree/agree that their students better understand the expectations of college and what is needed to be successful as a result of being in the program. 94% of FEP Faculty strongly agree/agree that they have benefitted professionally from being paired with another faculty member. 86% of FEP Faculty strongly agree/agree that the Professional Development provided by BSI were valuable and had a positive impact on their teaching. 90% of FEP Faculty strongly agree/agree that they have used materials and instructional strategies learned as a part of FEP in the other classes they teach. Counseling Center The Counseling Center has continued to offer a balance of 45 minute appointments and brief (5-15 minute) time with counselors to meet the needs of in-depth career, educational planning and personal counseling for students, with the ability to more quickly attend to students with immediate needs. Efforts have been made to allow more time for longer appointments that are generally more effective in meeting students needs for successful career and educational planning. This was accomplished in two of the three years, especially this last year, when 6,671 appointments were made available to students, with a concomitant increase in walk-in times. These increases reflect additional staffing, as well as the judicious use of workshops where counselors can maximize their time by working with groups of students with similar concerns. Unfortunately, we have not been able to improve the utilization rate of our appointments by students, despite consistent attempts to call and remind them. It may be more helpful to explore a texting service that could be generated through the SARS scheduling program. 15

16 Total Appointments and Walk-Ins Year Total Available Appointments Total Appointments Used 16 Utilization Rate Total # of Walk-in Students ,453 5,249 81% 11, ,999 4,857 81% 12, ,971 5,543 80% 12,951 The table below shows the number of workshops and students served in our Probation, Educational Planning and Graduation Petition workshops, and the number of counselor hours saved that can be re-deployed for appointments, walk-ins or orientation/advisement sessions. Our Probation Workshop has been the most successful of these (see the Student Learning Outcome for more detail). Although we have had to increase the number of counselors in order to accommodate large group workshops, students report a great deal of satisfaction with what they learn in the workshop, which includes individual analysis of their transcripts. Workshops Offered and Counseling Hours Saved Type of Workshop No. of Workshops Counseling Hours Students Served Counseling Hours Re-Deployed for Other Purposes Probation ** Ed Plan * Grad Petition * *During this year, Grad Petition workshops were combined with Ed PlanWorkshops **This year was lower because a semester was skipped while switching from first semester to second semester probation students for intervention The most recent Student Satisfaction Survey conducted by SAC (October 2013) shows that counseling services were used by 75% of respondents, which is the fourth most used student services following Registration, Admissions and Records, and the Library. Counseling services were rated as either excellent or good by 73% of students. This reflected a 6% decline from the prior year, when all student service areas rated showed declines ranging from 1 to 19%. Further analysis is needed to understand the reasons for this decline. However, individual

17 comments reveal a feeling that counselor are hard to get in to see; sometimes appear rushed and disinterested in students; or do not offer appropriate guidance. This feedback has been given to counselors to help them alter their behavior as perceived by students. Online Counseling Program The goal of the Online Counseling Program is to respond to students in 72 hours (factoring in weekends when online counseling is not available), which is being met and exceeded. A total of 342 hours of online counseling are offered over 250 days per year. The following table indicates the total number of questions answered by online counselors from , demonstrating a decreasing trend in the number of online questions submitted annually over the last 3 years. It is not clear why this might be, although during two of these years, the Counseling Center was able to over a greater number of appointments, which may decrease the demand for online counseling. There has also been an increase in the average answering time for this past year, which may be due to the fact that the system encountered more technical difficulties and was off line, thus interfering with counselor response times. However, this remains a viable and important service for students, especially as we seek to increase our distance education academic offerings to students. Online Questions Asked and Average Answering Time Academic Year Number of Online Questions Average Answering Time in Hours Specialized Support Programs University Transfer Center (UTC) The University Transfer Center promotes overall SAC transfer by providing a number services and activities that aim to assist continuing Santa Ana College students through their transfer process, including counseling, transfer education planning, university representative appointments, college fairs, and workshops for UC and CSU applications, TAG agreements, and personal essay development for scholarships and applications. The chart below shows the most recent transfer information, indicating an overall decrease of 15% in transfers across all college/university categories. While transfer to CSUs showed the greatest decline, transfers to both the UC system and private/out of state schools increased. This is not surprising given the recent reductions in admissions to the CSU system due in large part to state budget limitations. In some instances, students who have not been accepted to CSUs are getting accepted to UCs, even with the higher academic standards at UCs, due to the much more restrictive admissions policies. Although affordability has always been a more significant issue for a UC or a private/out of state institution, these colleges and universities are often able to provide scholarships and other favorable financial packages, while some students are opting to go into greater debt in order to not delay their education. 17

18 Santa Ana Adelante! One of the largest initiatives to improve transfer is Adelante!, a partnership with CSUF and UCI that is currently supported by a Lumina grant. Students from SAUSD have guaranteed admission to these institutions if they meet entrance requirements. SAUSD students are entitled to this guarantee either way, but may sign a pledge and receive additional supportive services, including orientation courses, advising for comprehensive and transfer educational planning, and participation in field trip opportunities to visit prospective campuses. The table below shows charts the GPA and persistence rate differences between those who signed a pledge and those who did not, and also between full time and part time students, where significant differences continue to be seen. Adelante! Student Success Data Cohort 2011 Participatin g in Adelante Orientation prior to fall semester & signing the pledge Y E S 319 (27%) Full Time / Part Time Status Number SAC Degree Seeking Freshmen GPA 1 st 2 nd 3 rd 4 th th To 2nd 5 semester To 3 rd semester Persistence To 4 th semester To 5 th semester* To 6 th semester* 82% 67% 60% 48% 44% SAC All Freshmen 73% 54% 52% 43% 49% FT % 94% 95% 77% 74% PT % 82% 78% 58% 55% 18

19 N O 855 (73%) FT % 82% 77% 58% 54% PT % 52% 46% 34% 34% 2012 Y E S N O 508 (39%) 806 (61%) Degree Seeking Fr 81% 65% 57% All Freshmen 70% 54% 48% FT % 90% 90% PT % 72% 68% FT % 76% 72% PT % 43% 41% Degree Seeking Fr 81% Y E S N O 551 (40%) 818 (60%) All Freshmen 72% FT % PT % FT % PT % Comparable GPA information is not available Results indicate that students who pledge to receive additional services persist at a higher rate than that for all SAC entering freshman, as they also do when compared to persistence for degree seeking freshmen. However, this difference is much higher among full time versus part time students, revealing a distinct disadvantage to being a full time student. However, significant differences are more pronounced between PT students who do and do not take full advantage of Adelante! Program services, indicating that the Adelante! Services may be even more important for PT versus FT students. Although overall GPA patterns are not available, the same trend in persistence is seen when comparing GPA performance between full and part time, and pledge and no-pledge, Adelante! students. AP Spanish Language and Culture Exam offers Santa Ana College students an opportunity to earn credit for Elementary Spanish I and Elementary Spanish II, which are courses that meet the general education pattern for CSU and UC systems. The exam continues to be in high demand for Santa Ana College students. Although we have not received scores for this year, the past three years SAC students have had a 90 percent passing rate. The Partnership for Transfer Success in USDA Related Career Majors Program (PTSP) is a multifaceted program with the overall aim of increasing awareness concerning USDA-related career options from a diverse community. In this academic year the grant continued to offer counseling services, transfer support and internship placement, and the disbursement of the second installment of the $40,000 grant awarded to a transfer student last year. The PTSP grant is ending in the next academic year, but funding will be disbursed to remaining scholarship recipients and services will be offered to the remaining seven students pending transfer. 19

20 Summer Scholars Transfer Institute (SSTI) is a 10 day residential program at UCI designed to increase students confidence and interest in transferring to a UC as they complete four to five UC transferable units while receiving intensive faculty/staff and peer support, personal growth, networking, and development of interpersonal skills. In 2013, 94 students from SAC and Rio Hondo College participated with a 100% passing rate, which is the highest number of participants to date. A recommendation for this program is to track the student participants and their transfer progress as well as the universities they apply to and from which they receive admissions offers. The Northern Trip (CNSL 110, University Research) affords students the opportunity to visit four UC campuses in Northern California, which they would otherwise not have access to visit due to location, financial resources, or other personal constraints. This year, a second trip was added when Intersession was restored, resulting in the completion of 80 educational plans and the development of 80 personal statements for university applications (approximately 40 students/trip). Although past research has indicated this is one of our most successful programs in promoting transfer, limited staffing in recent years has made follow-up research difficult to conduct. Data collection in the future will assess how the Northern Trip has impacted student s choice to transfer to a University of California versus California State University, where SAC students traditionally transfer. Funding for the Northern Trip is challenging due to the cost of transportation, food and lodging, and has been supported by various funding streams in the last several years. Fast Track Fast Track to Success, funded through the Basic Skills Initiative, is an accelerated model program designed to offer students the opportunity to progress more quickly through their basic skills course in Math and English, thus shortening the time needed to reach their educational goals. Students receive a blocked schedule for their classes and counseling support both within and outside of the counseling course. Math 60 and 80 are offered as 8 week courses in the fall, with a counseling course, and ENG 60 and 61 in the spring, in addition to the college level math course if both foundational math courses were passed in the fall. The lead counselor also facilitates instructor meetings regarding students, although curriculum is not as aligned or integrated between all courses in the cohort as in the Freshmen Experience model. The program began in 2011 with one cohort, and has expanded to 4 cohorts, include those designed for evening students. Course passing rates for Fast Track (aggregated for all cohorts) were significantly higher than the departmental average passing rates for all of the cohort courses offered through the program in English (English 060 and English 061) and Math (Math 060 and Math 080), as demonstrated in the following chart. Results of this pilot program indicate that students can be more successful in accelerated developmental courses with counseling support, which will reduce their time to transfer or degree completion by two full semesters, or one year. 20

21 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% Course Passing Rates 83% 74% 74% 68% 62% 62% 51% 50% Math 060 Math 080 English 060 English 061 Fast Track Program Department Average Center For Teacher Education (CFTE) CFTE is currently in its third award for a five-year cycle of funding received from the US Department of Education, in partnership with Fullerton College and Cal State, Fullerton. They have successfully completed Year 2 and are underway with Year 3 funding for the five-year, $5.9 million Cooperative Arrangement Grant Encouraging New Graduates and Gaining Expertise in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (ENGAGE in STEM). (Specific activities and outcomes are detailed in the Annual Performance Report (APR) submitted to the US Department of Education). In addition, the Center was recently awarded a $6 million regional multi-school and multiagency collaborative grant by the California Careers Partnership Trust. The Orange County Teacher Pathway Partnership (OC TPP) project targets the Careers in Education program of study for the Education, Child Development, and Family Services Industry Sector. Central to the vision is providing high school and community college students real-world experience as a context for their classroom experience in a career relevant sequenced curriculum as they prepare for early entry to employment as paraprofessionals while persisting in post secondary education that culminates in a post-baccalaureate teaching credential, ultimately filling the need for California s anticipated shortage of well prepared teachers in the next five years. Additional new initiatives or activities this year included the following: Served as Co-Host College for the 2014 NACCTEP National Conference in Anaheim, where Dr. Martinez provided conference Welcome, CFTE Counselor/Coordinator Steve Bautista served on an expert panel, SAC students presented a very successful session about their experiences as first-generation college students titled Mi Viaje (My Journey). Through HSI STEM funding, offered the STEM Teaching Scholars Program, which placed 56 SAC students in STEM tutoring opportunities in elementary schools, middle schools, high schools, and in STEM disciplines here at Santa Ana College. Feedback from students regarding field experiences revealed positive ratings of increased interest, knowledge, 21

22 and classroom confidence and skills related to math and science majors, ranging from 81% to 96%. Field placements included two new initiatives: Mendez enabled SAC students to serve as mentors to seventh and eighth grade Honors and MESA students at Mendez Fundamental Middle School and work with their teachers using NASA based curriculum to produce imaginative, research-based engineering projects that improve existing products or conditions. All mentors were trained in mentorship and STEM curriculum for this project. The goal of Conne[x]ion is to increase the number of SAC students successfully completing their bachelor s degree in Science, Technology, Engineering, or Math (STEM) disciplines. Selected participants (28 students) had the opportunity to connect with other STEM majors, faculty and counselors and were provided with a vast array of support services to assist them. In addition, the students were encouraged to participate in STEM related field experiences, undergraduate research opportunities and/or internships. CFTE data for shows an overall increase in the use by students of CFTE core services, ranging from 4% to 29%, including 272 new students registered, up 61% from two years ago. SAC students continued to show strong satisfaction ratings with CFTE services of 70% in the district survey. However, satisfaction levels dropped -19% from 2012; the reason(s) are unclear and require further evaluation. Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement (MESA) California MESA is the model for similar programs in over a dozen other states. A national HP initiative used MESA as its model for a national community college initiative designed to increase the number of engineers and computer scientists who are African American, Latino American, American Indian, and women. Students participate in the offerings of the program, including Academic Excellence Workshops, STEM related field trips and professional conferences, counseling support and research opportunities (for example, in spring MESA won a competitive USDA grant designed to provide 20 SAC MESA students with hands-on research experience at Chapman university). They also study together in a shared learning environment, which is a proven success strategy for STEM course. As a result, MESA students transfer at a much higher rate than the general Santa Ana College population (an average of 26% average over the last 4 years, versus an 8% transfer rate for SAC overall), despite the fact that they are identified as educationally and economically disadvantage. 22

23 MESA Transfer Students Total MESA Transfer Students CSU UC Private/Out of State Continued and new initiatives this year included the following: During the Spring semester, we were informed that the summer math boot camps we initiated the summer of 2012 (and the Math Center took over and expanded into every intersession and summer since) would not be offered this August. Fortunately, through collaboration between the Math, Science, and Health Science Division, individuals in the Math Department, MESA, and the Center for Teacher Education/Engage in STEM, the Math Jam will be offered to approximately 90 students this August, focusing on Math 160, 170, and 180. The SAC STEM Committee, for which the MESA Counselor/Coordinator served as chair this year, implements STEM Week each fall semester. This year was our biggest ever and a huge success. Over 400 students participated in the events. Another initiative of the SAC STEM Committee is to create a functional and effective SAC STEM website that serves as a Virtual STEM Center to aid students in finding scholarships, internships, and research opportunities related to STEM. Puente Program Puente students are enrolled in a learning community cohort of English (ENG 061 in fall and ENG 101 in spring) and counseling courses for both semesters, designed to assist new freshmen to develop foundational writing skills necessary for college success while participating in other activities to develop connections that support retention. The table below indicates that students in the Puente Program have higher passing rates in these courses than for other students, ranging from 8 to 19 percentage points higher. Retention rates for show an even more significant 23

24 advantage for Puente students when compared to persistence to the second semester for all new freshmen, ranging from 12 to 20 percentage points higher. Puente thus demonstrates significant differences in initial success rates for new students enrolled in the program versus non-puente students. Enrollment Program Student Success Rates by Year Puente Average Retention Rate to 2 nd Semester* SAC New Freshmen Average Retention Rate to 2 nd Semester* Puente Average Passing Rate SAC Average Passing Rate for English 061 & 101* % 73% 72% 64% % 70% 75% 64% % 72% 82% 63% *Average for (ENG 061) and (ENG 101) combined U-Link U-Link students are supported for transfer to any university, but receive a guaranteed admission to UCI if all requirements are met. They participate in a learning community for a variety of courses, including English, Speech, Chicano Studies, Psychology, Chemistry and Biology, which are paired with a counseling course. They also attend field trips to UCI in fall and spring, and are required to participate in cultural and civic events, including service learning. The table below indicates that while passing rates vary considerably, from as low as 51% to as high as 99% depending on the course, although overall passing rates are higher than the SAC average of 71%- 73% in the same years. However, retention rates, which range from 70% - 100%, are generally significantly higher than the SAC average of 70% -73% in the same years. It appears that one spring cohort from 2011 is pulling down the overall positive trends, in both passing and retention rates with rates of 51% and 70%, respectively. Program Student Success Rates by Year Fall 11 Enrollment Retention Passing Spring 12 Enrollment Retention Passing Cohort % 73% Cohort % 51% Cohort % 91% Cohort % 73% Fall 12 Enrollment Retention Passing Spring 13 Enrollment Retention Passing Cohort % 60% Cohort % 59% Cohort % 70% Cohort % 72% Fall 13 Enrollment Retention Passing Spring 14 Enrollment Retention Passing Cohort % 97% Cohort % 99% Cohort % 84% Cohort % 70% Cohort % 77% Cohort /% 84% 24

25 Area II: Comparative Context: Consider your work in context and comment on significant issues relative to the impact of the program over time and/or the relative status of peer programs regionally. Santa Ana College has a well-deserved reputation of offering innovative support programs that are particularly needed for first generation, low income, and otherwise at-risk students who make up much of our community. The specialized programs in the Counseling Division, from the larger University Transfer Center and Center for Teacher Education to the smaller programs such as Puente, all demonstrate excellent course success and retention rates for students. The division also offers curriculum that enables students to make strong connections with faculty counselors, and assists students to develop academic and interpersonal skills that will enable them to be successful both in college and in their careers. The very successful Freshmen Experience Program is an excellent example of the integration of academic and student support that leads to student success, in addition to fostering excellence, innovation and collaboration in teaching and professional development. The Adelante! Program, operating since 2011, is also a major initiative with college-wide implications for students success in meeting their educational goals, which has strong foundational roots within the area of counseling. This year the division also made a large step forward in addressing the needs of Career, Technical and Education students, who have sometimes been missed in the more global emphasis on goal completion that is often assumed to be reflected solely in transfer. The Career/Job Resource Center is being transformed into the Career Development/CTE Student Success Center, where CTE counselors and career technicians will be located together in a one stop center for CTE support services. This is covered in more detail under the Career/Job Resource Center portfolio. A major effort underway this year has been preparing for the implementation of the Student Success and Support Program, including ensuring that students receive state mandated services designed to support their entry into college, and eventual success. This has required a significant review and revision of counseling services, including orientation, placement testing (see separate Testing Center Portfolio), and advisement/counseling that results in education plan development. The addition of two new full time counselors will be especially important to this effort, and a major augmentation in funding is expected to support additional counseling services. Our major challenge will be in not only meeting demand for services, but in accurately tracking the services delivered through SARS and MIS submission, in order to qualify for the funding needed under the new state funding formula. This year SARS has been added as both a scheduling and data tracking system to all offices on campus that will need to report MIS data. The Dean has been attending regional conferences regarding the new regulations throughout the year, and has been guiding faculty leadership in the process of revamping our service delivery and acquiring new training needed to implement and track our activities. Collaboration with other departments (i.e., EOPS, DSPS, ITS) has also been critical to this process. Area III: Analysis: What are the implications of the above information for the program work in progress and future efforts? Both new state regulations and college initiatives have come at a time when the college and the Counseling Division are still recovering from budget cuts which have limited grant funding in 25