REPORT OF A CHANGE VISIT. Rich Mountain Community College Mena, Arkansas. January 28-29, 2013 FOR

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1 REPORT OF A CHANGE VISIT TO Rich Mountain Community College Mena, Arkansas January 28-29, 2013 FOR The Higher Learning Commission A Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools EVALUATION TEAM Dr. Deborah Payne, Vice President for Instruction, John A. Logan College, Carterville, IL Dr. John W. Marr, Jr., Dean of Academic Affairs, Cuyahoga Community College, Eastern Campus, Highland Hills, OH (Chair)

2 CONTENTS Assurance Section Part I: Context and Nature of Visit 3 Part II: Evaluation of Documentation Supporting Institution s Request for Change 6 A. Alignment with Institution 6 B. Capacity for implementing and sustaining the changes 7 C. Strategies for monitoring and evaluation the changes 8 D. Strategies for addressing strengths, challenges, or strategic issues related to the changes 8 E. Potential positive or negative effects of the changes 9 F. Quality standards 9 Part III. Recommendation and Rationale 10 Recommendation _ 10 Rationale for the Team s Recommendation 10 Other accreditation issues 11 Part IV. Statement of Affiliation Status 11 Advancement Section Overall Observations about the Organization 12 Consultations of the Team 12 2

3 ASSURANCE SECTION Part I: Context and Nature of Visit A. Purpose of Visit: Requested Change This report will detail the findings and recommendations of a Change Visit evaluation of Rich Mountain Community College s (RMCC) request to initiate distance delivery. Additionally, the College has requested approval of its consortial relationship with the Arkansas Rural Nursing Education Consortium (ARNEC) in accordance with requirements maintained by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC). The visit was conducted January 28-29, B. Accreditation Status RMCC is a publically controlled, associate degree-granting institution of higher education serving communities in western Arkansas from its main campus in Mena and outreach centers in Polk, Montgomery, and Scott counties. RMCC currently holds accreditation with HLC. RMCC was admitted to candidacy in 1984 and received initial accreditation in The College s last comprehensive visit occurred in academic year , and the College s next comprehensive visit is scheduled for academic year There are currently no stipulations on the College s HLC affiliation status. C. Institutional Context Founded in 1983 in Mena, Arkansas, Rich Mountain Community College (RMCC) is a young institution even by community college standards. The campus is situated on the site of the former Rich Mountain Vocational-Technical School. RMCC became a comprehensive community college in 1983 when the Arkansas Legislature approved combining Rich Mountain Vocational-Technical School and the Henderson State University off-campus program. RMCC enrollment has grown to approximately 1000 students who are currently taking advantage of the College s range of programs, services, and learning opportunities offered to the residents of its service area. Current programs and services include GED preparation; developmental education; transfer and technical degrees and courses; courses for professional, workforce, and personal development; Adult Basic Education; English as a Second Language; student support and outreach programs; and financial aid including grants and scholarships. RMCC also operates a permanent off-campus site in Waldron, approximately 30 miles north of Mena. Mena is a remote and rural community located approximately 30 miles east of Arkansas western border with Oklahoma. The town sits at the foot of Rich Mountain in an area rich in scenic beauty and outdoor recreational opportunities. The vast and 3

4 isolated nature of the College s service area are major factors in the College s seeking approval for both its partnership with ARNEC and for permission to initiate distance delivery. D. Special Conditions and Contractual and Consortial Arrangements As previously noted, RMCC is requesting approval of its participation in the Arkansas Rural Nursing Education Consortium (ARNEC). ARNEC is a consortium of eight community and technical colleges located in rural areas of Arkansas. ARNEC was created to provide LPN's/LVN's with the opportunity to take the next step towards advancing their careers in nursing by earning an Associate of Applied Science in Nursing degree, which prepares them to sit for the RN licensing exam, the NCLEX-RN. Many LPN's/ LVN's in remote communities of Arkansas have not taken this step because they are not able to stop working and travel to colleges that offered Registered Nurse (RN) completion programs. ARNEC was created to help rural nurses meet this need. ARNEC provides a way for Arkansas higher education institutions to serve LPN's/ LVN's who want to become RN's without leaving the communities in which they live and work. Current members of ARNEC include, Arkansas State University-Newport Black River Technical College Cossatot Community College of the University of Arkansas Ozarka College Rich Mountain Community College South Arkansas Community College University of Arkansas Community College at Hope University of Arkansas Community College at Morrilton ARNEC classes begin in January and students graduate in December. ARNEC combines classroom instruction with clinical experiences to educate students on the roles, knowledge base, and responsibilities of Registered Nurses. Nursing lectures are delivered by real-time interactive television (ITV) two afternoons/evenings per week, tests and coursework are delivered over the Internet, and most clinicals are scheduled for weekends (source: ARNEC website, ). The current term of RMCC s ARNEC agreement covers the time period from January 1, 2011 through December 31, E. Approvals Obtained RMCC operates under approvals from the Arkansas Department of Higher Education (including approval for distance delivery), the Arkansas Department of Workforce Education, the Arkansas State Board of Nursing, and the State Approving Agency for Veterans Training. Per the current visit, RMCC is formally seeking HLC approval to 4

5 participate in ARNEC and to expand distance delivery. ARNEC operates under approval from the Arkansas State Board of Nursing. F. Interactions with Institutional Constituencies Members of the site visit team met and worked with the following individuals and groups over the course of the visit: Administration Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs, RMCC President, RMCC Vice President for Academic Affairs, RMCC Consortium Officials Arkansas Rural Nursing Education Consortium (ARNEC, 8 Representatives) Technical Support Information Technology Staff (1 Staff Member) Moodle Administrator (1 Staff Member) Curriculum Review and Development Curriculum Committee (4 Representatives) Distance Education Task Force (3 Representatives) Students Distance Learning Students (11 Students) Instruction Faculty (9 Members) Student Support Student Services Staff (3 Staff Members) Library Staff (1 Staff Member) G. Principal Documents, Materials, and Web Pages Reviewed 1. Arkansas Higher Education Coordinating Board Existing Program Review: Institutional Self-Study Guidelines 2. Arkansas Higher Education Coordinating Board Policy for the Review of Existing Academic Programs, Revised October

6 3. ARNEC website, 4. Best Practice Strategies to Promote Academic Integrity in Online Education, 5. Distance Delivery Confirmation Form: Confirmation of Institutional Eligibility for Distance Delivery Approval 6. Governance Through Committees: Committee Assignments March 14, 2011 Memorandum from Arkansas Department of Higher Education to Dr. Steve Rook re Program Approval 8. Report of a Comprehensive Evaluation Visit (2005) 9. RMCC Catalog 10. RMCC Institutional Report on the Annual Review of Faculty Performance, AY RMCC Guidelines for Development and Delivery of Online Courses 12. RMCC Online Course Evaluation Rubric 13. RMCC Technology Plan 14. RMCC Website 15. Substantive Change Application: Programs Offered Through Consortial Arrangements Part II: Evaluation of Documentation Supporting Institution s Request for Change A. Commitment to, preparation for, and fit of the proposed change to the institution a. RMCC officials prepared a Substantive Change Application for Programs Offered through Consortial Arrangements and a Confirmation of Institutional Eligibility for Distance Delivery Approval document for site visit team review. The team reviewed both requests before and during the visit. The team concluded that the documents accurately represent the RMCCʼs comprehensive planning, support services, and allocation of resources for a successful Consortial Arrangement with ARNEC and a Distance Education program. b. With respect to RMCC s requested consortial affiliation, the team reviewed the structure and governing documents of ARNEC and found them to be clear and effective with respect to the Consortium mission and purposes. ARNEC s mission is clearly consistent with RMCC s mission to provide all residents of the Ouachita Mountain Region with exemplary educational and enrichment opportunities to improve the quality of life and standard of living. c. The ARNEC representatives, with whom the team spoke, were knowledgeable about Consortium processes and governance and were clearly enthusiastic about their cooperative and innovative approach to the delivery of nursing education to residents of rural Arkansas. d. With respect to distance delivery, RMCC s request for approval to provide distance learning opportunities reflects a clear understanding on the part of College leadership of the College s mission and the degree to which this mission cannot be 6

7 fulfilled by brick and mortar solutions throughout western rural Arkansas. e. RMCC s requests are consistent with the 2005 Comprehensive Visit team s recommendations to enhance both its IT infrastructure and course offerings in response to the needs of residents of its service area. f. RMCC has demonstrated it readiness to expand distance delivery through the development and use of its Technology Plan, course development and review protocols, and faculty training and support. Taken together, these factors have created a solid foundation for the College s request. B. Capacity for implementing and sustaining the change(s) a. RMCC s financial resources consist of student tuition, state support, and local tax revenue. Although the College is facing its share of challenges, a review of funding-related concerns with the College president and vice president for academic affairs revealed to the team that the College has the financial resources to support and sustain expansion of the distance education program and the consortial agreement with ARNEC. b. RMCC has a clearly defined process for online course development, with specified steps for design, approval, and support. During the design phase and prior to implementation, the Distance Learning Committee reviews and approves the online course development. c. Rich Mountain has a clearly defined curriculum committee procedure to develop new curriculum in any delivery format. The required elements for new course proposals are clearly described. Indeed, the HLC team commends the College for the degree to which its distance learning development and overall curriculum review are well-integrated. d. The College selected Moodle as its course management system for online delivery, and a faculty member with Moodle Administrator responsibilities facilitates online course design training for faculty. At this writing, RMCC offers only one fully online certificate program in Computer Forensics. The College schedules about online courses per term out of an online inventory of 71 courses. The VPAA or department chair evaluates online course delivery on an annual basis. e. The ARNEC consortium consists of eight colleges and universities that are currently accredited by the HLC. Rich Mountain Community College was invited to join the consortium to provide more students with the opportunity to transition from the LPN credential to the RN associate degree. The governing board consists of the chief academic officers from each consortium college. The nursing program chair also meets with consortium faculty and department chairs from each college to review, assess and update curriculum. Rich Mountain has demonstrated its capacity to collaborate and design the clinical experiences needed for students to complete the nursing curriculum. 7

8 C. Strategies for systematically monitoring and evaluating the effects, performance, and/or quality of the change(s) a. Based on conversations with faculty, academic administrators, distance education technology support staff and students, as well as examination of the Change Report and other supporting materials, the team concluded that RMCC has in place the professional staff necessary to support and expand a successful program in distance education and to fully participate in ARNEC. b. ARNEC is an impressive partnership that appears to be getting desired results. The consortium closely monitors its NCLEX-RN results and current outcomes are encouraging. The Consortium s 2011passage rate was 95.5%, with RMCC achieving a rate of 88.8% for the same year. For 2012, ARNEC's passage rate so far is 96% with RMCC at 100% with five students having tested so far. c. Distance education coursework is included in the institution s program review process, in the processes related to student evaluation of course experience, and in the institution s comprehensive program of assessment of student learning outcomes. RMCC currently tracks student success vis-à-vis course completion and grade distribution for online versus traditional courses with no marked differences based on delivery modality. The College is also participating in the HLC Assessment Academy to refine its assessment procedures. Planning for the resources necessary for a successful program of distance education is an integral component of institutional strategic planning. d. Currently, students can access support through and telephone. With the College s planning for broadband expansion, the institution is identifying what strategic resources will be needed to support increased enrollment in distance education courses. These resources include marketing, budgeting, student service support, and library resources. D. Strategies for addressing strengths, challenges, or strategic issues (especially those previously identified by the Commission) related to the change(s) a. Both RMCC s requests for consortial and distance learning approval are consistent with and responsive to the strengths and challenges documented in the College s 2005 Comprehensive Visit team report. Both change requests constitute a thoughtful and strategic response to perhaps the single greatest challenge facing RMCC delivering affordable, high-quality higher education to citizens of its large, rural service area. E. Potential positive or negative effects of the change(s) on other institutional operations a. No negative effects for either of the requested changes were noted. The continued 8

9 expansion of RMCC s distance education offerings will provide the College with additional resources and flexibility to help RMCC meet the learning needs of its rural student base, and RMCC s participation in ARNEC may well be the College s only viable opportunity for providing RN training to residents of its service area. F. Quality standards a. RMCC is participating in the HLC Assessment Academy and is developing a comprehensive model for assessment of student learning outcomes. This model will need to become an integral component of institutional strategic planning and of the institution s commitment to continuous improvement. b. RMCC has consulted several sources to learn and to incorporate best practices in the design and administration of its distance courses. c. RMCC allocates resources to departments and to academic senior leadership for support of online programs. The process for assessment of student learning outcomes addresses both face-to-face and distance education courses. The institution has adopted a course shell for all distance education courses which provides students with a standardized design for distance education courses. All instructors who teach distance education courses participate in training, development, and review of courses. d. RMCC s chief academic administrators have access to all distance education courses and routinely monitor student activity and instructional delivery. ARNEC chairs and faculty meet monthly and clinical faculty meet with the instructional group quarterly to ensure quality instruction and address any concerns. In addition, ARNEC nursing theory courses are archived and accessible to students for review. ARNEC administrators and instructors regularly communicate through an distribution list. e. Current support for online students is available through , telephone, and office hours. Conversations with faculty and students revealed that faculty and staff are responsive to student questions and concerns. They also indicated that the technology supporting online instruction works well. f. The College recently opened the Learning Enrichment and Advising Center to assist students in becoming more effective learners. The Center offers tutoring, the use of laptops, and an area for studying. g. Conversations with instructors who teach online and with students who have completed online courses led the team to conclude that RMCC successfully delivers an effective online learning experience. Instructors reported they were enthusiastic regarding the academic and technical support for their online teaching. Distance learning staff (Moodle administrator, CIS faculty, and the Director of Information Technology) have provided skillful training to instructors in their efforts 9

10 to design engaging online learning experiences. h. The institution has in place a rubric for the evaluation of proposed on online courses. It is evident from conversations with instructors and RMCCʼs senior leadership that instructors have significant input into consortium programs and ownership of RMCC s online courses. i. Students with whom HLC team members spoke were unified in their strong support of Rich Mountain s online course delivery thus far. Students were enthusiastic regarding the degree to which online courses fit into their lives and offer them significant flexibility in meeting their educational goals. Students also report no problems with accessing course sites, course navigation, and responsiveness of faculty. Students would like to see an expansion of online courses, programs, and online services, such as registration. j. RMCC has adopted an online orientation procedure for students who enroll in online courses. In fall 2012, this instruction was incorporated into all new student orientations. RMCC also has a process that enables students to provide feedback on their online learning experience. All online courses offered under the auspices of RMCC have been developed by and are taught by RMCC faculty and consortium faculty. No third party vendors are used. Part III: Recommendation and Rationale A. Recommendation Evidence sufficiently demonstrated to recommend approval of both change requests. B. Rationale for the Team s Recommendation Consistent with the findings from its 2005 Comprehensive Visit, the current team finds that Rich Mountain Community College continues to operate with a high degree of effectiveness and integrity in serving the citizens of its western Arkansas service area. Most processes appear to be well-documented, and faculty, staff, and students all display high levels of engagement in and enthusiasm for the programs and services offered by the College. The current review of RMCC institutional documents, conversations with students, instructors, technology support staff and senior leadership provided substantial evidence that the institution has successfully designed and is delivering quality online instruction. The institution has developed and implemented a course design and evaluation process and is actively involved in the HLC Assessment Academy to refine its student assessment of learning process. Based on its current online inventory, RMCC currently delivers 50% to 75% of its degree programs online. Given the quality of current online offerings, and the modest total number of programs offered by Rich Mountain, the team is confident that appropriate plans, processes, and leadership are in place to merit HLC approval of 10

11 this recommendation. Furthermore, the team recommends that RMCC be approved to offer 100% of its programs online. In like manner, the team has documented that RMCC has demonstrated that the ARNEC nursing consortium is an effective, cost efficient, and necessary development for enhanced delivery of nursing instruction in rural western Arkansas. C. Other Accreditation Issues None. Part IV: Statement of Affiliation Status A. Affiliation Status No change. B. Nature of Institution No change. C. Conditions of Affiliation No Change. D. Monitoring No Commission monitoring is recommended at this time. E. Commission Sanction or Adverse Action None. F. Summary of Commission Review No change. 11

12 ADVANCEMENT SECTION I. OVERALL OBSERVATIONS ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION By virtue of its age and size, Rich Mountain Community College (RMCC) is still, in many respects, a brand new institution. Rich Mountain has the advantage of being able to learn from the experiences of many institutions that are much older. The wisdom of these lessons learned is evident in the many strengths noted in RMCC s 2005 Comprehensive Visit team report--strengths that were clearly evident in the current Change Visit as well. As RMCC continues to add to and strengthen its operational foundation, particularly in the area of distance learning, the Change Visit team offers the following recommendations for institutional consideration. II. CONSULTATIONS OF THE TEAM 1. RMCC has done a pretty good job of establishing a culture of documentation. While the institution is small enough to accomplish a lot with a quick or phone call, a remarkable range of processes and information appear to be written down, including an institutional Technology Plan, Strategic Plan, governance documents, and curriculum review and development processes. 2. The team commends the College for its work in these areas and encourages College leadership to make documentation and broad sharing of data hallmarks of the institution. Important areas that might benefit from a focus on documentation and sharing of data/information include, professional development (particularly for full- and part-time faculty); Strategic Plan performance metrics; program review; and, of course, assessment of student academic achievement. 3. As RMCC strategically considers strengthening its online presence, it will want to pay close attention to careful development of a marketing plan and enhancing the functionality of its website. 4. As RMCC expands its online offerings, it may wish to consider having faculty develop supplemental Moodle sites for all classes. Advantages of supplemental sites include 12

13 - Efficiency of course management for faculty by being able to share course information with students anytime, - Reduction of photocopying expense by eliminating handouts that can simply be posted online, - Deepening student engagement by maintaining a flow of information outside of scheduled class time, - Maintaining continuity of educational delivery during inclement weather or other situations that preclude classroom attendance, - Faculty preparation for continued development of new online courses. 5. RMCC will need to consider the development of an easily accessible help desk as its online offerings and presence grows. 6. It was suggested to team members that the College may need to consider hiring a programmer to support its use of Moodle 2.3. The team encourages RMCC to thoroughly research this possibly needed area of technical support. 7. The College must maintain its commitment to quality in the development of its online courses. With this in mind, RMCC will need to regularly update its understanding of what constitutes leading edge online course design. RMCC may want to periodically consider submitting some of its courses for external evaluation to a service such as Quality Matters. Rich Mountain could also strategically use such a service to review high demand online courses and then model the design/revision of lower enrollment courses after the high-demand offerings inhouse. 13

14 Team Recommendations for the STATEMENT OF AFFILIATION STATUS INSTITUTION and STATE: Rich Mountain Community College, AR TYPE OF REVIEW (from ESS): Change Visit DESCRIPTION OF REVIEW (from ESS): Request to initiate distance delivery and to offer LPN-RN consortial program; and to review the offering of the LPN to RN program through the ARNEC consortium of Arkansas institutions. DATES OF REVIEW: 1/28/13-1/29/13 Nature of Organization LEGAL STATUS: Public TEAM RECOMMENDATION: no change DEGREES AWARDED: A TEAM RECOMMENDATION: no change Conditions of Affiliation STIPULATIONS ON AFFILIATION STATUS: None. TEAM RECOMMENDATION: The institution is permitted to offer the LPN to RN program through the ARNEC consortium of Arkansas institutions. APPROVAL OF NEW ADDITIONAL LOCATIONS: Prior Commission approval required. TEAM RECOMMENDATION: no change APPROVAL OF DISTANCE EDUCATION DEGREES: The Commission's policies and definitions for distance and correspondence education recently underwent significant change. Some institutions are currently under review to ensure conformity with the revised policies. This entry will be updated in the coming months following completion of that review. TEAM RECOMMENDATION: No prior Commission approval required to offer up to 100% of the institutionʼs degree programs online. REPORTS REQUIRED: None TEAM RECOMMENDATION: None OTHER VISITS SCHEDULED: Change Visit: ; Request to initiate distance delivery and to offer the LPN to RN program through a consortium of Arkansas institutions TEAM RECOMMENDATION: none Summary of Commission Review YEAR OF LAST COMPREHENSIVE EVALUATION: YEAR FOR NEXT COMPREHENSIVE EVALUATION:

15 TEAM RECOMMENDATION: no change Team Recommendations for the STATEMENT OF AFFILIATION STATUS

16 ORGANIZATIONAL PROFILE INSTITUTION and STATE: Rich Mountain Community College, AR TYPE OF REVIEW (from ESS): Change Visit No change to Organization Profile Educational Programs Programs leading to Undergraduate Programs leading to Graduate Program Distribution Associate 8 +1 Bachelors 0 Masters 0 Specialist 0 First Professional Doctoral 0 Recommended Change (+ or -) Off-Campus Activities In-State: Present Activity: Recommended Change: (+ or -) Campuses: None Additional Waldron (RMCC - Waldron) Locations: Out-of-State: Present Wording: Recommended Change: (+ or -) Campuses: None Additional None Locations: Course None Locations: Out-of-USA: Present Wording: Recommended Change: (+ or -) Campuses: None Additional None Locations: Course None Locations: Distance Education Programs: Present Offerings: Associate Information Science/Studies (Information Systems Technology) offered via Internet; Associate Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies (General Education) offered via Internet;Videocassettes, DVDs, and CD-ROMs; Associate General Studies (General Studies) offered via Internet;Videocassettes, DVDs, and CD-ROMs; Associate Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other

17 (General Technology) offered via Internet;Videocassettes, DVDs, and CD-ROMs; Associate Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse (Nursing (LPN/LPNT to RN)) offered via Internet; Associate Administrative Assistant and Secretarial Science, General (Office Technology) offered via Internet; Associate Sales, Distribution, and Marketing Operations, General (Business Administration) offered via Internet; Certificate Computer and Information Systems Security/Information Assurance (Computer Forensics) offered via Internet; Certificate Administrative Assistant and Secretarial Science, General (Office Technology) offered via Internet; Certificate Business/Office Automation/Technology/Data Entry (Database Applications) offered via Internet Recommended Change: (+ or -) Correspondence Education Programs: Present Offerings: None