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2008 Unit Plan: “Politics” Program at College of Alameda
Contract Faculty: Robert J. Brem
Department of History, Political Science, and Psychology
Chair: Ed Loretto (History)
Arts & Letters – Division II Dean: Maurice Jones
February 20, 2008
A OVERVIEW
As we compiled the 2007 Program Review and Unit Plan in November of 2007 and it is currently February of 2008 – we have elected to substantially repeat that Unit Plan for 2008 as nothing of substance has changed since November as to current program plans and needs. We will of course evaluate our progress in the 2009 Unit Plan and create a substantially new report at that time.
Mission & History: The “politics” program at College of Alameda offers an Associate of Arts Degree in Political Science. We seek to focus upon preparing individuals for effective Global Citizenship in a 21st Century Knowledge Economy – in the context of global ecological challenges -- in a democratic values driven republican governance manner guided by “an ethic of service.”
We intend that our students learn skills that make them more effective citizens in their communities and in applying what they learn in achieving their own life goals. Students in the major are encouraged to ask and explore central questions of politics. We seek to tap into a possible increased interest in politics over the next few years addressing specific needs unique to Alameda as well as the Bay Area in general.
The student demographics of the COA political science department is comprised of people who are young, low income, and minority -- reflecting the city of Alameda, Oakland, and other neighboring cities, as well as the clientele of our community partners. COA is the only higher education resource in Alameda.
B EVALUATION AND PLANNING
1 Program review data and the CSEP review criteria matrix:
Baseline Data / Sections / Enroll. / AVG Class Size / FTES/FTEF / CommentsFall 2006 / 6 / 338 / 56 / 29.74 / See below
Spring 2007
Fall 2007 / 7
7 / 259
279 / 37
39.9 / 19.62
19.41
Low enrolled “weekend college” sections of POSCI-1 are not popular -- (14 & 15 each). We need to reevaluate their viability. Other sections of electives are also low but we are committed to a multidimensional variety of offerings for a robust program. FTES for Fall 2007 is 23.3 – Fall 2007 figures are preliminary and are used to offer a better picture of program direction. This reflects enrolment as of 10-18-07 and assumes 1.2 FTEF.
2008 Unit Plan: Department of Political Science at College of Alameda -- page two
2 Quantitative and Qualitative Assessment (Fall to Fall)
2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 code* comments
1. Enrollment (CW1) / 249 / 298 / 231 / 286 / 338 / 1 / Second largest department in district – we are working on increasing enrolment2. Sections (master sections) / 5 / 5 / 5 / 8 / 6 / 1 / 7 sections in Fall 2007 and 10 sections slated for Spring 2008
3. Average Class Size / 50 / 60 / 46 / 36 / 56 / 1 / Highest average class size in District -- 39.9 for fall 2007 despite being hurt by “weekend college” -- see narrative below**
4. Productivity (FTES/FTEF) / 26.4 / 31.4 / 24.8 / 21.4 / 29.7 / 1 / Highest productivity in District for Fall 2006 -- despite being hurt by “weekend college” see narrative below**
5. Student Success (Grades A,B,C,Cr/all grades) / Not available / 75.5 / 73.4 / 71.5 / 72.2 / 1 / We believe these figures are reflective of department rigor and are evidence that grade inflation may not be a problem.
6. Program Cost (Cost methodology under development. Please complete the remaining items.) / -- / -- / -- / -- / -- / -- / This step to be completed later
* 1 = rising trend or at or above expectations; 2 = mixed trend; and 3 = downward trend
** Quantitative Narrative:
Productivity is consistently above average compared to both the college and the district.
Productivity and average class size was helped significantly by very large Winter & Summer intersession sections of POSCI-1 (between 90 and 120 students each) and by large regular semester sections of the same course (between 50 and 70 students each);
However, productivity and average class size has been significantly hurt by a dubious experiment with “Weekend College” (Highly accelerated sections of POSCI-1 – over three weekends with six eight hour days) that has exceedingly low enrollments. Further, we have low enrolments in all of our weekend sections – even the ones that span the whole semester.
We believe the net effect is that our productivity and average class size would be higher if we eliminated these or significantly reformatted them (e.g. we cold try a six weekend version of weekend college in Friday Night and Saturday morning format).
While it is true that we have other sections that are lower enrolled (e.g. POSCI-2, POSCI-4, and POSCI-6) these are essential for a well rounded program and are not expendable. We have replaced POSCI-6 with POSCI-26 which should have larger enrollments due it meeting the California American Institutions transfer requirement.
2008 Unit Plan: Department of Political Science at College of Alameda –page three
3 Qualitative Assessments Community and labor market relevance Present evidence of community need based on Advisory Committee input, industry need data, McIntyre Environmental Scan, McKinsey Economic Report, etc. This applies primarily to career-technical (i.e., vocational programs).
Narrative: Although we are not a vocational program (now) – we are developing an “applied politics” – social change agency certificate which is designed to be “vocational” – empowering students with the skills to work in all aspects of social change and political campaigns.
4 Relevance to College of Alameda strategic plan:
1) New program under development -- Change Agency Certificate Program
2) Program that is integral to the college’s overall strategy – the Program is consciously shaped to tie in to COA ILOs and the Student Success Initiative
3) Program that is essential for transfer – The program has two courses which can satisfy transfer requirements (no other Peralta College has this).
4) Program that serves a community niche -- the new certificate program is geared to work with
Alameda Community Partner needs.
5) Programs where student enrollment or success has been
demonstrably affected by extraordinary external factors,
such as barriers due to housing, employment, childcare etc. – we believe that the needs of the partnership we have
developed with the Alameda Point Collaborative will address needs of these populations – aiding them in changing their life situations.
5 Action Plan [Plans/goals and specific action steps. curriculum, pedagogy/instructional, scheduling, and marketing strategies -- cross district collaboration with the same discipline at other Peralta colleges.]
· We have some curriculum enhancement goals integrating student learning outcomes in all courses which emphasize: “green” & sustainability themes; civic engagement; and futures consciousness driven life skills development. The overall goal is to inculcate values of public service in the hearts and minds of our graduates.
· Create a Social Change Agency Certificate Program tied into the Kettering Foundation and Camp Wellstone models of social change as a terminal job skill oriented certificate that will be marketed to non-profit organizations and interested individuals Bay Area wide (refer to ACA Grant -- Appendix A).
· We have as overall innovation goals:
· creative partnerships with other schools and organizations -- both in and out of the district to aid students in pursuing careers and life style choices guided by the ethics and values of the public service;
· to enhance basic skills mastery, we seek to increase utilizations of library and learning resource center workshops and online Etudes workshops (for credit and/or extra credit); we intend to expand the use of student study circles & peer support groups;
· we are implementing a European Tutoring model of “independent study” mentoring for advanced students;
· a student “Politics/MUN Club;” and
· we seek to facilitate political theatre and Chautauquas at CoA and film projects in cooperation with community partners.
2008 Unit Plan: Department of Political Science at College of Alameda –page four
· Classroom instruction enhancement goals include: increasing Basic Skills sensitive pedagogical (androgogical) techniques, interactive group work & in class self-reflective work; utilize guest lectures and/or interchange visits from other disciplines; exposure to graduate students; service learning components; and learning community style collaborations.
· We have a number of student learning evaluation goals relative to assignments that include: increased dimensionality of self reflective journal and portfolio assignments, pre/post-tests, “process evaluation” techniques & protocols, and means for long term follow up “outcomes evaluation measures.” These are seen as necessary for validity and reliability reasons.
· We have a number of technological support goals to improve course content instruction and delivery which include: integration of interactive projection based course survey software and citizen participation software; smart classroom technology as it becomes available; bulletin boards & Blogs; and web-based hybridization. We intend to develop an “on-line presence” in 2008.
· In terms of outreach – we have some ideas for the future that depending upon our staff availability and institutional support may be useful:
· “COA Days” is a proposed event cosponsored by the political science department, the public relations office, and student services. It is a yearly “recognition faire” designed to showcase what students have learned & accomplished in their civic engagement efforts is during the previous year and culminating in the COA Superior Service Awards. This will be a recognition of outstanding students, community partners (organizations & individuals), and other individuals and groups as appropriate. This is part of the institution of an ethic of service into the curriculum.
· We wish to actively expand the Chautauqua series at COA to include student government and community partners and class projects – and do so for Single day events: Constitution Day; Earth Day; Cinco de Mayo -- highlighting civic engagement and green principles in community building.
· Development of a “change agency certificate program”
· work on inter-departmental (liberal arts) program revisions into learning community format and
· Seek to create a Web Based presence in terms of: Blogs and active Public Interest Intellectual Scholarship (create a PIRG….)
· We have a long term documentary film project in conceptual stage regarding democracy as a way of life. Have already discussed this with a few of the key players in this project.
· Relative to Enrollment patterns - - we wonder if a MW class schedule would be more popular than MWF
· We suggest a closer relationship with “feeder schools” in Oakland too as well as Alameda High Schools and ASTI – perhaps a career day presence and workshops for school counselors.
· Pitch COA to these schools with the advantage over Laney or Merritt that it is a smaller less intimidating school with more teacher student contact possibilities. It is the same issue that encourages some to go to small colleges rather than the big intimidating UC Berkeley or UCLA.
· Evening classes from 6:30 to 9:30 rather than 6 - 9 so people can get there from work more easily.
· Do something to make weekends less "dead" on campus. If there are just a few classes and nothing else, it loses some appeal – this is part of the engaged campus model proposed in the ACA grant (see appendix A).
· More outreach to employers and employees touting COA as professional development tool.
2008 Unit Plan: Department of Political Science at College of Alameda –page five
6 Additional Planned Educational Activities
Health/safety/legal issues: / . not applicable to this departmentCertificates and Degrees Offered / · Currently an Associate of Arts Degree
· In development: Certificate in Social Change Agency
Student Retention and Success / · We have “linked-in” courses to study skills workshops and the reading writing labs.
· We structure peer study groups in to classes.
· We utilize self-reflective portfolio assignments to anchor learning and enable students to make a personal connection to learning.
· We are actively integrating Basic skills sensitive pedagogy methods in teaching.
Progress on Student Learning
Outcomes. ( SLO 100% Complete) / SLOs for all course are developed and based upon POSCI Program Learning Outcomes which are derived from
· COA institutional learning outcomes,
· CSU-East Bay POSCI – PLOs, and
· research in to SLO development in the discipline as accessible on the Web.
C RESOURCE NEEDS
1 Personnel Needs
We have one contract (f/t) faculty member and two part time faculty members. We are developing a “Social Change Agency Certificate” program and project the possibility that may justify a second full time faculty member at some point.
2 Equipment/Material/Supply/ Classified/Student Assistant Needs:
Staff: We currently utilize one student worker and have a “diversity intern program” intern (2007/2008). This meets our current needs. However, in the event our ACA project is successful we anticipate needing two more student workers and/or assistants. We seek to continue our diversity intern program affiliation to become a training department in civic engagement.
Facilities Needs (Items that should be included in our Facilities master Plan) for Measure A funding:
Please describe any facilities needs.
2008 Unit Plan: Department of Political Science at College of Alameda – page six
Table 1.0 Resource Needs
Item Identified in Program Review (justification) / Human Resources (Staffing) / Physical Resources(Facilities) / Technology and/or Equipment / Supplies Budget / Curriculum
MindMap– interactive classroom presentation software (superior to Power Point) for enhancement of lectures. To full take advantage of smart classroom technology / n/a / n/a / Mind Map software / Unknown / n/a
Smart classroom technology will enhance classroom learning experiences / n/a / Smart technology in classrooms / Terminals, projection equipment (for web and DVDs) in class (not on push cart); sound system that is not distorted. / n/a
Measure A / n/a
Need a website that is interactive for class “handouts” and communications and online discussion for knowledge in use learning. Blackboard / Staff already in place / n/a / Web support to maintain and expand internet presence; Blogs, Etudes, Blackboard / n/a / n/a
Futures Consciousness, civic engagement, and “green” oriented curriculum -- as a guiding philosophy -- allows for integrated studies that is superior to fragmented approaches to teaching. / Training necessary to align faculty skills sets (COA staff and consultants) / n/a / n/a / n/a / Integrate “Green” curriculum – “change agency” (civic engagement & futures consciousness) and integrated studies perspectives into instruction
Guest lecturers, special lecture programs, and one day events (e.g. Chautauqua’s) – for exposure to other disciplines allows for greater dimensionality in instruction and enhances learning. (European Tutoring model) / guest lectures and/or interchange visits. / n/a / n/a / n/a / Creative curriculum development
Access in real time to the vast resources of the web allows for more dimensional subject review and interaction in the classroom enhancing student learning. / n/a / n/a / Smart Classroom technology for real time internet access in class to utilize web resources; with better sound system to enable clear hearing of film clips. / n/a / n/a
2008 Unit Plan: Department of Political Science at College of Alameda –page seven