II.A.1. The institution demonstrates that all instructional programs, regardless of location or means of delivery, address and meet the mission of the institution and uphold its integrity.

West Los Angeles College's Academic Affairs division developed a strategic plan in 2008-2009 entitled the Revenue Enhancement Initiative (REI) to enhance the financial stability of the college by increasing funding from alternative sources in addition to State funding. The initiatives were to be consistent with the college's mission and planning. It underwent review and analysis by the Academic Senate, the Budget Committee's Chair, and the College Council, which endorsed the strategy and recommended the assignments associated with the initiative. The initial objective was to add three – five percent to the college's operating budget in each of its first three years of operation. In its second year, 2010-2011, the initiative contributed approximately $2 million to the operating budget from alternative funding sources whose objectives are compatible with the college mission and plans. Academic Affairs was reorganized as a part of this strategic plan to realize the REI potential. Added to the college were offices for professional level research and planning, grant development, distance learning and Internet-assisted instruction and support services, and new leadership to enhance the effectiveness of teaching and learning for student success.

Academic Affairs Division / Vice President / Directs the nine academic administrators in the areas listed below.
Chairs the Resource Development Committee.
Co-chairs the Technology Committee.
Office of Instruction / Dean of General Education and Transfer Services
Dean of Career and Technical Education
Associate Dean of Westside Extension and Contract Education
Associate Dean of Hospitality
Dean of Curriculum and Educational Services / Supports the following divisions:
Behavioral and Social Sciences (general education disciplines)
Humanities and Fine Arts
Language Arts
Mathematics
Science
Co-chairs Student Success Committee
Co-chairs Transfer Task Force
Key resource for STEM developments.
Supports the following divisions:
Advanced Technologies
Allied Health
Behavioral and Social Sciences (CTE disciplines)
Business
Computer Science
Humanities and Fine Arts (CTE discipline)
Chairs the CTE Committee
Supervises Associate Dean of Westside Extension and Contract Education—Language Academy, Educational Tourism, community servcies, contract education, contract and memoranda of understanding with partnering agencies and institutions.
Supervises the Associate Dean of Hospitality—not-for-credit training with partnering hotels and Unite Here Local 11, funded by the City of Los Angeles.
Supports the following divisions:
Counseling Division's Personal Development discipline
Dance, Health, and Physical Education
Library and Learning Resources
Supports Curriculum Committee, Technical Review Committee, Catalogue and Schedule courses and programs.
Supervises the Articulation Officer.
Directs the Institute of
Excellence—TRIO grants (Student Support Services, Upward Bound 1 & 2, Talent Search, Educational Oppportunity Center; Tech Prep; Cal Works; Young Black Scholars; Predominantly Black Institutions' LEARN
Distance Learning / Dean of Distance Learning / Supports the online instructional programs and support services—online, hybrid, and Internet-based supplemental instruction for on campus classes.
Supports staff development for Etudes and ADX training, which are the primary Internet platforms.
Supports online international education and international education development of partners.
Sponsored Programs and Development / Dean of Development / Develops grants, partners, foundation, global initiative, contract education, and enterprise accounts.
Research and Planning / Dean of Research and Planning / Supports the college-wide needs for research and data; provides research frameworks and analysis. Develops reports and conducts surveys. Conducts specialized reserach projects.
Supports the college-side needs for planning at the master planning level, enrollment management and FTES income projection and review levels.
Designs, modifies, and conducts the college-wide program review process.
Chairs the Planning Committee and is a major resouce on the Program Review Committee.
Teaching and Learning / Dean of Teaching and Learning / Directs the Tech Fair.
Directs the Title V grants—City & West; Pierce & West; East, Trade Tech & West; CSU Dominguez Hills & West; developing the Harbor & West and Mission & West Title V Cooperative grants. Develops STEM, basic skills, and institutional effectivenesss federal grants.
Major resource for the Student Success Achieving the Dream initiative.
Supervises the SLO coordinator.
Develops staff development to enhance learning and teaching effectiveness. Supports faculty in the tenure process.

II.A.1.a.The institution identifies and seeks to meet the varied educational needs of its students through programs consistent with their educational preparation and the diversity, demographics, and economy of its communities. The institution relies upon research and analysis to identify student learning needs and to assess progress toward achieving stated learning outcomes.

Philosophy

West Los Angeles College is committed to providing access to higher education and an educational environment where students have the opportunity to develop to their potential. The College:

  • Encourages independent learning, critical thinking, and participating in the democratic process;
  • Faculty recognizes teaching as its primary responsibility and provides opportunities for learning in and outside the classroom and online;
  • Supports an appreciation for the cultural and individual differences and nurtures an environment of intellectual freedom, respect, and collaboration;
  • Commits to meeting the ever changing educational needs of students who live and work in a fast paced, technological, and global society by offering courses in a variety of formats, times, and places.

Descriptive Summary

West Los Angeles College offers a variety of schedules and delivery systems that meet students’ needs by offering courses in a variety of formats: on campus, online, hybrid, short term, full term, off campus, accelerated, general education, career technical education, international and global, learning communities, and through workforce development grant projects closely linked with employer demand. Innovative programs connecting the college to feeder high schools, middle schools, community based organizations, and employers round out the full-range of programs that respond to the varied educational needs of the college's students. Faculty office hours, advising and counseling are available on campus and online.

The Office of Research and Planning (ORP) provides valuable insight for the planning process in the form of data that are used in all the exchanges where enrollment and student success are reviewed. For example, the ORP website ( lists accountability data from the College Effectiveness Report, ARCC (Accountability Reporting for the Community Colleges), and IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education System. The College Profile webpage provides data on student demographics, enrollment trends, access, and outcomes. ORP develops a 3-year plan for each fall and spring, which shows the past three falls (or springs), the current semester and the future semester in order to plan out the allocation of course sections. The plan breaks down enrollments by day and evening, by full-time and adjunct faculty assignment and by all the modalities of instructional delivery (on campus, online, hybrid, ACT, Jumpstart). The breakdown is by every discipline in each division ( The report is reviewed and completed by the instructional deans of the Office of Academic Affairs in consultation with the division chairs. In preparing for the semester one year ahead as part of the enrollment management process, the deans meet with the chairs and division faculty members to review the plan and get additional information and input.

The Office of Research and Planning produces data on a monthly basisthat describes the college’s student demographics and its student success factors. They are presented at the Enrollment Management Committee, Divisional Council, Student Services Council, Academic Senate, Planning Committee, and the College Council. The research dean meets with the three vice presidents twice monthly to review demographics, enrollment trends, and student success outcomes. The research dean is developing a prototype college factbook that will be published on the Research and Planning webpage ( and updated annually starting in the 2011/2012 academic year.

In fall 2010, West Los Angeles College's student demographics show an extremely diverse student body.

  • With a headcount of 11,140, African Americans were 40.5%, Latinos were 33.5%, Whites were 15%, and Asian/Pacific Islanders were 8.2%.
  • 15.7% of students were 19 and under while those 20 to 24 years old were 29.5%, and students 25 to 34 were 26.2%, and those 35 and older were 22.8% of the student body.
  • Female students outnumbered males 60.8% to 39.2%.
  • Students enrolling in 12 units or more were 21.3% of fall 2010 students while 39% and 39.6% of students enrolled in 6 to 11 units and less than 6 units respectively.
  • Of all students in fall 2010, those indicating their educational objective as transfer were 43.8% while 25.1% of students indicated they were enrolled in vocational programs.
  • 57.5% of students in fall 2010 were continuing students while new transfer students were 12.1%, first time students were 17.4%, returning students were 7.5%, and concurrently enrolled high school students made up 5.5% of the student body.
  • 61.7% of students had obtained a US high school diploma, 17% already had earned an associate or bachelor's degree, 7.2% had a GED, 5.8% were concurrently enrolled in high school, 4.3% had earned their high school diploma in a foreign country, and 3.9% were not high school graduates.
  • 38.75% of students took classes that started before 12 noon, 21% enrolled in online courses, 16.5% took class that start at 6:30 pm or later, 16.2% took classes that started between 12 noon and 6:30 pm, 4.7% enrolled in hybrid courses, and 2.9% took weekend courses.

West Los Angeles College serves a population that is not college ready as evidenced by students' initial assessment scores.

  • 51.8% of tested students placed into math basic skills courses, 46.1% into pre-college math, and only 2.1% into college level math courses.
  • English placements were a little better with 5.7% of tested students placing into an English as a Second Language course, 33% placing into English basic skills level courses, 37.6% into pre-college level English, and 23.7% placing into college level English.

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Office of Research and Planning’s reports are now the basis for the discussion and review of effectiveness and for the institution’s continued commitment to a basic skills program that is integrated throughout all of its educational programs and services. ORP regularly reports retention and persistence, course completion and grades. In conjunction with the Office of Admissions & Records, the Office of Academic Affairs reviews grades, trends, withdrawals, exclusions, and final grades of W and INC.

ORP and the Office of Academic Affairs administrators provide the Divisional Council and division chairs faculty with student achievement data to identify gaps in student success. Research has been done on the correlations between results on entering proficiencies of students and their success in courses with and without prerequisites in English, reading and mathematics.

ORP also collects and evaluates data on effectiveness indicators including awards, grades, and transfers to universities (Degrees and Certificates Awarded - UC and CSU Transfers by Area of Study -

Course development and class scheduling are data driven and involves input from faculty, students, staff, deans, counselors, and administration. Courses are mapped to ensure that transfer and vocational programs are available and to assist students in their planning.Master copies of the course maps are housed in Academic Affairs and with the Division Chairs. Maps are made available to students through the instructors of the disciplines for academic advisement. Additionally, students are directed to the online resource “Degree Works” to develop a plan of completion and transfer ( The college gathers and develops accurate, objective data and information about the institution and the students it serves in many ways. Enrollment management data is gathered and reviewed at the Enrollment Management Committee and in planning sessions with the Office of Instruction deans and the divisions and their chairs. ( In addition, information is reviewed and shared with wide opportunities for input at the College Council ( the Academic Senate ( and the Divisional Council (

Information is collected by faculty in the classroom in the form of assessments, and by counselors via assessment and experience. The Dean of Student Services and the Director of the Counseling Department regularly participate in Divisional Council and College Council meetings to provide additional input. Additionally, the college uses economic forecast data for the region for course and program design and scheduling ( Faculty and deans meet with industry partners, employers and members of advisory committees to inform and validate decisions on courses, programs, and course delivery methods. (

All courses are supported by a variety of academic support services both on campus and online. These include: tutoring, the Library's more than 65,000 volumes, Learning Skills courses, computer laboratories, writing and math laboratories, a foreign language laboratory, and research databases. The Learning Center offers open-entry/open exit, self-paced and competency-based Learning Skills courseswith the PLATO Learning System. The Learning Center offers support throughout each semester with instruction and learning assistance delivered by two full-time faculty (one in English and one in mathematics) and three highly qualified and effective support staff persons, with tutoring and support instruction. The Library is staffed by three librarians and four experienced library technicians. Both the Learning Center and the Library have large banks of computers (70 in the Library ( and 50 in the Learning Center) available for student use during normal operating hours ( Personal Development courses that provide instruction and support for student success are available in semester-length and short-term schedules and are available on campus or online (Fall 2011 Class Schedule, page 69 -

Faculty post syllabi and supplemental materials such as lecture notes, assignments, and practice problems to the web through one of two online support systems: ADX, a customizable, easy to use support system for faculty who are not teaching online or hybrid courses, and Etudes, the college's online course management system, for those courses that are conducted in an online or hybrid delivery mode. Currently, 200 faculty use ADX ( and 160 faculty use Etudes. (

Responding to student, faculty, and employer demand, West Los Angeles College operates six highly competitive and innovative cohort/learning community programs.

  • The Accelerated College Transfer program is an intensive transfer track with short-term courses in six pathways or majors(
  • Aviation Maintenance Technology ( and Film Production are scheduled in eight-week sessions (
  • Two themed learning communities, UMOJA ( and Puente ( are designed following the statewide models and have demonstrated success for their students.
  • West Los Angeles College, in partnership with the Los Angeles and Beverly Hills unified school districts' Law Enforcement magnet programs, the Los Angeles and Beverly Hills police departments, and the Police Academy Magnet School Foundation, developed and implemented the Police Orientation Preparation Program (POPP) at the Los Angeles Police Department's Ahmanson Recruit Training Center. POPP recruits 11th and 12th grade and community college students into a fast-paced career-oriented program that enables students to complete both the high school diploma requirements and earn two college certificates and an associate degree in Administration of Justice. The program currently enrolls 45 students. Graduates of POPP are considered as first-choices for city employment as community police aides, detention officers, security officers, fingerprint experts, school safety officers, police cadets, custody assistant, evidence technicians, security officers, 911 dispatchers, code enforcement officers, traffic enforcement officers, and airport screeners. (

The Jumpstart Program, administered by Student Services, offers courses and student support services to high school students at 12 area high schools (Beverly Hills, Central High-Mar Vista, Culver City, Dorsey, Hamilton, LACES, Los Angeles, Palisades, University, Venice, Verbum Dei, Westchester). (

Jumpstart continues to study its impact on student success rates. Student success and retention rates for Jumpstart students are among the highest at West Los Angeles College. In fall 2009, Jumpstart retention rate was 97%; student success was 82%. (

Over the last several years, the college has paid special attention to developing and implementing practices across campus that assess student learning needs and progress toward achieving stated learning outcomes. Through the practice of course-level assessment and collaborating with Program Review, the Planning Committee, and the Office of Research and Planning, the college has discovered value in the research gathered, analyzed, and evaluated at the course and program level, especially as it is discussed within the discipline, and reported out in the Program Review and Program Planning processes. With annual program review, and the recently implemental phases of Achieving the Dream, faculty are better able to track minor changes to programs that make improvements to student learning outcomes, which will be further enhanced as the college implements the AtD phases.