Mott Community College Graphic Design Michigan s Postsecondary Programs of Study YEAR TWO - FINAL REPORT 2012

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1 Mott Community College Graphic Design Michigan s Postsecondary Programs of Study YEAR TWO - FINAL REPORT 2012 INTRODUCTION A Program of Study is a sequence of instruction based on recommended standards, knowledge and skills, consisting of coursework, co-curricular activities, work-site learning, service learning and other learning experiences. This sequence of instruction provides preparation for a career. The Mott Community College Graphic Design Program of Study Year 2 Team was formed to implement recommendations and advance the work of the original Graphic Design Program of Study Team (2011). The goal of the Program of Study project is to improve retention and completion of students in the MCC Graphic Design program. MCC Graphic Design POS Team: Mara Fulmer, Professor/Program Coordinator, Graphic Design (Lead Faculty) James Shurter, Assistant Professor, Fine Arts & Social Sciences Division Troy Boquette, Executive Dean (Interim), Student Services Jessica Fritz, Business Representative, GD Advisory Committee Janet Lorch, Lecturer IV, Graphic Design, Director, Art Program, Dept. of Communication and Visual Arts, University of Michigan-Flint Eddie Watkins, GASC Technology Center & PT MCC Instructor Marc Smith, Manager of Computing Services - ITS Computing Support Services Lori Hancock, Executive Director, Planning, Research & Quality William Reich, ATD Faculty Lead - Planning, Research, And Quality Sherry Bradish, Director, CTE Transitions (Facilitator) PROGRAM OF STUDY GRANT OUTCOMES 1) Share results of POS work on campus specifically counseling and advising. Sharing results of the POS Year 1 work and other information about the program that is valuable for students is both a priority and a challenge. Students rely on counselors, advisors and program faculty to have current, accurate information. Working with the Executive Dean of Student Services and Manager of Computing Services, Mara Fulmer established an Information Bank (Google Site) for communicating with staff and faculty about the program. The Graphic Design Knowledge Site contains the Program of Study (Year 1) reports and attachments, updates about program information, pre-requisite recommendations, a Gallery of student work and FAQ. Mara Fulmer, Program Coordinator, is the manager of the site that is available by invitation to page 1 of 9

2 Graphic Design Program of Study Year 2 Report Mott Community College Fine Arts Advisors, Faculty, and program Advisory Committee members. Ms. Fulmer has received positive feedback from faculty advisors and the Executive Dean of Student Services about the information they can use with students interested in the program. The Graphic Design Advisory Committee, including members of industry, college faculty and secondary representatives, were informed of the program of study process and report of what we learned on December 7, The business members reinforced the findings of the Team (see Questions #3 & #5). A presentation to MCC Board of Trustees was made on January 9, We shared the POS process and results of the 2011 Teams (Culinary Arts, Electronics, Graphic Design). Board members complimented the work of the POS Teams and affirmed the value of the information for preparing students for success in the CTE programs at Mott. Team members had an opportunity to share the Program of Study process and a brief summary of results from the Automotive Technology, Culinary Arts, Electronics, and Graphic Design teams with representatives from the Higher Learning Commission during our fall 2011 site visit. 2) Connect and share results externally with secondary partners. The work of the initial Graphic Design POS team was shared with GASC Technology Center instructors and Advisory Committee members during the meeting held December 7th, This was held as a joint advisory committee meeting with GASC. The inclusion of Eddie Watkins, GASC Platform Facilitator, and Lori Horcha, GASC Instructor, on the original team and the on-going strong relationship between the secondary and postsecondary programs has resulted in aligned curricula and opportunities for smooth transitions for students. 3) Connect and share results externally with employers/occupational advisory committees/industry partners. During the Advisory Committee meeting, the business members indicated their support of the findings and offered input relative to their needs for employees. A challenge is the multi-skilled needs (creativity, attention to detail, use of and development of technology) required in this field. As a result, Mara Fulmer has had conversations with the Program Coordinator for MCC Computer/Information Technology programs about an Advanced Certificate that may be developed for graduates of the GD program. 4) Continue statistical analysis and correlations. During the project time period, we have collected additional student data for GRDE2 and GRDE3 coded students. We will continue to do an analysis of the student placement recommendations and student success, along with recommendations for pre-requisites and counseling/advising will be formulated. page 2 of 9

3 Mini Case Study on Experiential Learning & Student Success After initial examinations of student success rates in the Graphic Design cohort, Mara Fulmer explored additional data to determine if there were potentially noticeable benefits to students who participated in an early experiential learning Graphic Design course. A mini case study compared success results of these students to those in the general cohort. Art-105/205 Design Center Studio (called Studio 205 to the public) is open to students of all levels and takes on real-world projects with real clients using a team-based approach. Students can enroll in 1 or 2 credit modules per semester, repeating it as they move up through the modules. Benefits to students include service learning experience, peer mentoring opportunities, early career exploration and faculty-led experiential classroom environment. It allows students to gain insight into the field of study before they have completed all of the requirements for an internship. Initial analysis compared 215 students in the general cohort to 24 students in the Art- 105/205 group during the period. The general cohort was defined as those who intended to be Graphic Design students (those who took at least 3 foundation courses). Students who tested into one, two or three developmental education courses or collegeready (no DevEd courses recommended) were compared to their near completion of the degree (enrolled in Art-246 and final graduation portfolio review), and their actual degree achievement. page 3 of 9

4 Graphic Design Program of Study Year 2 Report Mott Community College Actual number of students who either earned their degree, nearly earned it (Art246), or did not continue after three foundation art courses. GENERAL GD COHORT, N=215 AAS in GD or other degree or Certificate Completed ART- 246 (no AAS) Did not continue (transfer?) Total # in each group Triples Doubles Singles College-Ready TOTAL GD COHORT STUDIO 205 COHORT, N=24 Ave # Studio 205 cr/student Studio 205 credits AAS in GD (or other degree/cert) Completed ART-246 (no AAS) Did not continue TOTAL # IN EACH GROUP Triples Doubles Singles College-Ready TOTAL STUDIO 205 COHORT Preliminary data analysis indicates a trend towards higher completion or near-completion rates among students who participated in Art-105/205 compared to the general cohort group. Another consideration is to potentially make at least 2 credits of this course required of all Graphic Design students. In the meantime, we will continue to encourage more students to participate in this course in the future. 5) Add/update labor market information to POS. Share LMI with Advisory Committee; survey members to determine current skill requirements and local demand. Identifying job titles and updating Labor Market Information is important for CTE programs at Mott Community College. The Mott Community College Graphic Design Program of Study Year 2 Team raised the following questions: What are the job titles that reflect the skills and competencies that graduates of the MCC Graphic Design program are prepared to perform? What is the demand (local, regional, state, national) for the industry? In addition, the Advisory Committee was asked to provide input relative to the skills and competencies and expected demand for positions in their organizations. page 4 of 9

5 Values expressed by the Advisory Committee Commitment to professional standards of practice. Be adaptable and nimble enough to keep up with changing field. Maintain strong connections with industry needs. Nurture and guide students towards their design education goals. Maintain strong connections to the community. Create students who are life-long learners. Students who are ethical practitioners and citizen designers. Students who want to do work that is purpose-driven (not just profit-driven). Green designers, sustainable design practice. MCC EMSI Career Coach Website: The occupations displayed below are often good matches for students who have completed the MCC Graphic Design program. There are twelve occupation areas provided by MCC s EMSI Career Coach website that relate to the area of graphic design. Below, these careers are listed with the average hourly wage and number currently employed in the field as of 4/2/2012. These results are sorted by wage and represent career information within 50 miles of Flint, Michigan. 6) Participate in evaluation and assessment of the POS process and program s POS. The support from Judy Stark to keep the group on task and share challenges and strategies for accomplishing the work has been helpful. We will participate in the reporting session (May 30) and provide specific feedback upon completion. page 5 of 9

6 Graphic Design Program of Study Year 2 Report Mott Community College 7) Conduct any steps or gaps that were not completed in Year 1. Continue review/comparison of secondary/postsecondary curricula and student outcomes to identify opportunities for earning college credit for secondary students. Secondary Program Alignment/Articulation - Review changes in program and impact on ability to approve articulated credit for students in the GASC Technology program. Develop new agreement and revise the Sequence of Courses to reflect. We have not completed this objective. Continued curricular changes at the secondary and postsecondary levels, input from Advisory Committee members, input from the other postsecondary partner and faculty schedules have made this objective more complex than initially thought. Options will continue to be explored. Postsecondary Alignment Review changes in the program and impact on students who transition to UM-Flint Fine Arts program. Revise/Update Sequence of Courses to reflect. Janet Lorch, Faculty/Fine Arts Programs, University of Michigan Flint, provided current information for transfer into the Bachelor of Fine Arts (web, video, art) programs at UM-Flint that will be shared with students who intend to continue in a related baccalaureate program. 100% of courses from the Mott GD program transfer to the BFA with some variation on how they are applied. (See attached.) Work with IR and Advising to ensure more accurate Program Codes for students in the program As we continue to work with college advisors and improve communications with students in the program, we expect more accurate reporting of Program Codes for students entering the program. This will allow the program coordinator to provide more targeted information and assistance to students as they move through the program. 8) Conduct next steps identified in program s POS final report. From the recommendations of the initial Program of Study Team, some key next steps were identified in the following areas: Identify computer skills necessary for success in the program and possible assessment tools to determine student readiness; Identify MCC courses that provide computer skills used/needed for GD program. Students in the GD program will learn a number of software programs to communicate ideas. They will need basic computer skills for success in the entry courses. The team met with the Manager of Computing Services and Program Coordinator for Computer/IT programs at Mott. We have reviewed the DLES 100 (on-line) Distance Learning Preparedness (tutorials and assessment of skills needed for web-based courses) required for students who enroll in e-learning courses. We have not identified an assessment tool that currently meets our needs for student digital literacy for the Graphic Design program. We will continue to explore options for the page 6 of 9

7 assessment and teaching of the technology skills needed for success in the Graphic Design program. We will share the skill sets/competencies needed with faculty advisors who should recommend a basic computer class (COMG 150 Introduction to Computer Technology, COMG 099 Computer Fundamentals or COMG 153 Computers A Practical Approach for students who do not have the recommended skills. Communication with students in the program - Develop means through Datatel for communicating program information, changes, opportunities to students in the program Ms. Fulmer created a Graphic Design Facebook group that she is using with students to communicate program information, opportunities for students, as a blog for exchanges between/among students and a calendar of activities/events. The group has 222 members, including students, faculty and alumnae. The communications about employment opportunities and responses to questions and concerns have been successful. The group can be found at: Mandatory Orientation Develop curriculum and process for students interested in the Graphic Design AAS program to participate. A curriculum for an orientation session for students interested in the Graphic Design was developed and a session conducted in Summer Orientation sessions will be scheduled for August The Graphic Design Facebook group is also a tool for potential students to gather information about the program. Explore IT options for communications about student progress/advising between Program Coordinator and Advisors/Counselors. An internal website (Graphic Design Knowledge Site) was developed to create stronger channels of communication between the advisors and program coordinator about the program. Additional work will be done to improve communications about specific students (See question 1). Study impact of advising changes on student progress in the program. The team determined that data for this question would not be available and research relating to Advising changes would not be particularly helpful. We opted instead to develop the communications tools for students and faculty advisors (See question 1). Continue to share POS results (internal and external) The work of the Program of Study team needs to be shared to have a greater impact on student retention and success. We will continue to share updated information with counselors and advisors through the internal website and in meetings. 9) Participate in regular update/progress meetings. Team Leaders, Mara Fulmer and Sherry Bradish, participated in the update/progress webinars. We found the scheduled meetings helpful as we listened to the progress of other teams, and provided structured deadlines for the work of the team due to the accountability to our peers. page 7 of 9

8 Graphic Design Program of Study Year 2 Report Mott Community College 10) Present year 2 work at 2012 TRENDS in Occupational Studies Conference. Mara Fulmer and Jim Shurter or Sherry Bradish will present the Program of Study Year 2 Work at TRENDS in Occupational Studies Conference in October. 11) Develop plan for ongoing review of developed POS The continuous review and updating of programs and courses is necessary for success in this dynamic field. Programs of Study (POS) and Perkins Review of Occupational Education (PROE) share the goal of program improvement for student success in CTE programs. We intend to use the POS data and recommendations as we participate in PROE at Mott. We will work with secondary and postsecondary partners to align curriculum and ensure smooth transitions for students. We will utilize the CATEMA software to capture and analyze data about students who continue from secondary CTE programs to the MCC Graphic Design program. A continuous review of student outcomes and input from the business advisory committee will be used for program improvement. Next Steps: Some items the committee would like to continue to explore and improve upon include: Improve communications within Datatel between the program Coordinator and advisors Develop Advanced Certificate with the IT program for GD graduates Continued review for Alignment with secondary and post-secondary partners Curricular changes - In two courses, curricular changes are anticipated that would address the changing market. Art-249-Publication Design for Print II, Production Techniques - This course is transitioning to cover more exploratory processes including screenprinting, and the production techniques required. Art-256-Publication Design for Web II, Animation & Multimedia - This course will be examined for potential changes addressing the field of web design, including Content Management Systems, SEO, CSS, and Social networking. Review course names and continuing review of pre-requisites College wide exploration of assessment of computer skills. Because we realized that this is a college-wide issue, not unique to the graphic design program, we will be working with others on campus to address this as a larger issue. page 8 of 9

9 CONCLUSION The Graphic Design Associate Degree in Applied Science (AAS) at Mott Community College prepares students creatively and technically for a wide range of design fields under the general area of visual communications. In addition to regular coursework, students are required to enroll in a three-credit internship where they will find placement with a host employer involved in the planning, creation and implementation of graphic design. The GD program offers three tracks providing flexibility in meeting a student s interests and their employment objectives: General (visual communications), Illustration, Motion & Media Graphics. The recent advisory committee meeting resulted in articulating the objectives for the program as follows: Create a graduate who... you would want to hire! has all of the practical AND creative skills! is competent, mature, talented, knowledgeable, versatile and shows initiative. In summary, the advisory committee stated that the mission of the program would be: We strive to create a graduate and transfer student with the creative and practical skills, knowledge, talent, maturity and initiative to succeed as a graphic designer in a changing industry. The program of study process supported the continuous review and updating of the programs and courses necessary for success in this dynamic field. The recent addition of the Graphic Design Advanced Certificate and the consideration of an Advanced IT Certificate with the Technology Division/Information Technology programs to upgrade and strengthen the skills of graduates of the program demonstrate a commitment to student success in this fast-changing industry. Revised page 9 of 9