Program Review Summary
• Evaluate each aspect of the program
1. Support of the College Mission
Very Strong Satisfactory Needs Improvement Major Concern N/A
2. Accomplishments in Achieving Goals Outlined in Previous Program Review
Very Strong Satisfactory Needs Improvement Major Concern N/A
3. New Goals
Very Strong Satisfactory Needs Improvement Major Concern N/A
4. Personnel Summary
Very Strong Satisfactory Needs Improvement Major Concern N/A
5. Staff Development
Very Strong Satisfactory Needs Improvement Major Concern N/A
6. Facilities and Equipment
Very Strong Satisfactory Needs Improvement Major Concern N/A
7. Financial Resources
Very Strong Satisfactory Needs Improvement Major Concern N/A
8. Strengths/Weaknesses
Very Strong Satisfactory Needs Improvement Major Concern N/A
• Evaluate the Program Overall
Very Strong Satisfactory Needs Improvement Major Concern N/A
The reviewer recommends that the LRC pursue the new goals outlined in Section III. In particular:Contents
1. SUPPORT OF THE COLLEGE MISSION
1A. Summarize Tutoring Center programs in terms of key functions and responsibilities.
1B. Describe how the Tutoring Center supports the overall mission of the College as adopted by the Board of Education.
1C. Describe the population served by the Tutoring Center
1D. Describe the Tutoring Center Resources, Including Usage Metrics
2. ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN ACHIEVING GOALS OUTLINED IN THE PREVIOUS PROGRAM REVIEW
2a. Describe progress in achieving goals outlined in the previous program review, including evidence documenting such achievements.
2B. Explain modifications of goals outlined in the previous program review, including evidence documenting such modifications.
2C. Describe specific, documented accomplishments that support and facilitate the achievement and assessment of student learning outcomes, including measures employed to evaluate program effectiveness in achieving such outcomes.
3. NEW GOALS
3A. Outline new goals including an explanation how the program supports the achievement of student learning outcomes, and state timeliness for completion, measures for evaluating achievement of such goals, and a process for implementing improvements.
4. PERSONNEL SUMMARY
4A. Provide an organizational chart of the program.
4B. Are current management and staff adequate to perform functions and responsibilities satisfactorily to achieve program goals? Explain the job functions of each position.
4C. Describe organizational changes that will improve program performance, provide timeliness for the achievement of such changes, and describe measures that will assess the effectiveness of such changes.
5. STAFF DEVELOPMENT
5A. Describe specific professional development activities in which program members participate, and explain how such activities benefit or enhance the program and support and facilitate student learning outcomes.
5B. Describe areas of unmet professional development needs among personnel in this program, if applicable, and outline plans to address those needs.
6. FACILITIES AND EQUIPMENT
6A.Are current facilities, such as classrooms, offices and equipment, adequate to support the program? Explain.
6B. Is available equipment adequate to support the program? Explain
7. FINANCIAL RESOURCES
7A. Provide a financial report. Explain deviations from budget exceeding 10% of any line item.
7B. Describe plans for future budget changes
8. STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES
8A. List and comment on the major strengths of the program
8B. List, comment on, and recommend improvements on the major weaknesses of the program.
9. SUMMARY AND ACTION PLAN
9A. Summary
9B. Action Plan
1. SUPPORT OF THE COLLEGE MISSION
1A. Summarize Tutoring Center programs in terms of key functions and responsibilities.
The Tutoring Center offers free in-person and online supplemental instruction in all core academic areas, such as math, chemistry, physics, biology, writing, computers, Spanish, anatomy and physiology, digital media, business, and more. Tutoring is available in the Tutoring Center in Building 4 on a drop-in basis, with no appointment necessary. Embedded tutors are made available to certain subject areas based upon instructor demand and student need.
1B. Describe how the Tutoring Center supports the overall mission of the College as adopted by the Board of Education.
The Tutoring Center helps advance student success by offering the above services to students. LRC tutors assist over half (51%) of the KCC student body which helps with students’ grades and retention rates.The Tutoring Center contributes to student success in workforce training, academic transfer, foundational skills development, and community education.
1C. Describe the population served by the Tutoring Center.
Klamath Community College serves Klamath County, Oregon. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the poverty rate for the county as a whole is 23% (second highest in Oregon), with parts of the county experiencing poverty rates of more than 42%.
“Klamath County ranked lowest in Oregon in the 2014 health outcome rankings released by the County Health Rankings and Roadmaps...Of the 33 counties rated, Klamath County sat at the bottom…The county health rankings listed Klamath County’s [High School] four-year graduation rate at 61 percent, 8 points lower than Oregon’s 68 percent rate.For the class of 2013, the Oregon Department of Education listed the Klamath Falls City School’s four-year graduation rate at 47.35 percent and Klamath County School District’s four-year rate at 47.35 percent…Klamath County also outranked the state in its percent of children in poverty: Klamath County had 26 percent while Oregon had 23 percent.And the school free lunch program, another measure of poverty, also is higher in Klamath County. Here 58 percent of students are in the program, while statewide 43 percent of students are.” [1]
From July 2015 through July 2016, the daily Tutoring Center count combined with the usage report from our online eTutoring provided by Northwest eTutoring Consortium shows a total of5,497 individual tutoring sessions and 7,600 hours of tutoring total.
1D. Describe the Tutoring Center Resources, Including Usage Metrics
The Tutoring Center currently offers tutoring in the following subjects:
- Writing
- Spanish
- Math
- Science
- Computers
- Digital Media
- A&P
- Psychology
- Accounting
- EMT
- Aviation
To support tutoring efforts in these subject areas, the Tutoring Center currently employees 26 part-time tutors, 11 of whom tutor in the Tutoring Center facility, 12 whom tutor in-class, 1 who tutors in both locations, and 1 who tutors online. These tutors are a mix of current KCC students, and recently graduated students, with the highest degree earned ranging from HS Diplomas to Bachelor degrees.
The Tutoring Center provides whiteboards, pencils, paper, computers and reserve textbooks for students to use in their supplemental instruction. Tutors are available on e a drop-in basis, with an availability for outside appointments, at varying times and days throughout the week (including on Saturdays).
The Tutoring Center also offers eTutoring through the online service TutorMe. Through TutorMe, KCC students can be connected with a tutor and a wide variety of subjects, including ESL, coding, and nursing, instantly, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for no charge.
The chart below illustrates our Tutor Center usage metrics from Spring Term 2013 through Summer Term 2016. They demonstrate the total number of tutoring sessions completed during each term and the total hours of tutoring completed during each term.
Term/Year / Total # of Tutoring Sessions / Total # of Tutoring Hours / Average Time Spent per StudentSpring/2013 / 2352 / 2501 / 1:03 hours
Summer/2013 / 1280 / 1556 / 1:13 hours
Fall/2013 / 2639 / 3083 / 1:10 hours
Winter/2014 / 4429 / 3054 / 1:18 hours
Spring/2014 / 1745 / 1999 / 1:03 hours
Summer/2014 / 1005 / 1471 / 1:35 hours
Fall/2014 / 1275 / 2030 / 1:16 hours
Winter/2015 / 2031 / 1737 / 1:16 hours
Spring/2015 / 1846 / 2226 / 1:12 hours
Summer/2015 / 432 / 749 / 1:45 hours
Fall/2015 / 1732 / 2990 / 1:44 hours
Winter/2016 / 1703 / 2092 / 1:14 hours
Spring/2016 / 1425 / 1786 / 1:15 hours
Summer/2016 / 487 / 582 / 1:18 hours
As the graph of the data demonstrates, total # of tutoring hours has remained fairly consistent throughout the Spring 2014 – Summer 2016 terms. There should, ideally, always be more tutoring hours per term than total # of tutoring sessions, which demonstrate that students are not just coming in for five or ten minutes, but staying for lengthier tutoring sessions, during which more material can be covered and greater assistance can be given.
The chart below illustrates our TutorMe usage metrics for from 9/26/16, the beginning of Fall Term 2016, through 10/31/16. Previous to this date, KCC was using a different eTutoring platform. Data usage from theprevious platform is unavailable.
Month (2016) / Tutoring Subjects / Total # of Tutoring HoursSeptember / Writing, Algebra, World History, English / 2:43 hours
October / English, Writing, Algebra, Communication, Economics, Biology, Pre-Algebra, SAT, World History / 42:34 hours
November / English, Algebra, European History, Microsoft Excel, Statistics, Writing / 82:42 hours
These numbers, while interesting and important, are still too new to draw any conclusions from. It is our hope that the total # of tutoring hours, as well as number of tutoring subjects, continue to rise month to month.
2. ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN ACHIEVING GOALS OUTLINED IN THE PREVIOUS PROGRAM REVIEW
2a. Describe progress in achieving goals outlined in the previous program review, including evidence documenting such achievements.
Given that this is the first year a Tutoring Center program review has been completed, no data is available for this section. In future program reviews, information on goal achievement will be added. The next scheduled Tutoring Center program review will be undertaken in Summer 2018.
2B. Explain modifications of goals outlined in the previous program review, including evidence documenting such modifications.
Given that this is the first year a Tutoring program review has been completed, no data is available for this section. In future program reviews, information on goal achievement will be added. The next scheduled Tutoring program review will be undertaken in Summer 2018.
2C. Describe specific, documented accomplishments that support and facilitate the achievement and assessment of student learning outcomes, including measures employed to evaluate program effectiveness in achieving such outcomes.
Given that this is the first year a Tutoring program review has been completed, no data is available for this section. In future program reviews, information on goal achievement will be added. The next scheduled Tutoring program review will be undertaken in Summer 2018.
3. NEW GOALS
3A. Outline new goals including an explanation how the program supports the achievement of student learning outcomes, and state timeliness for completion, measures for evaluating achievement of such goals, and a process for implementing improvements.
The Tutoring Center’s goals are set to be in alignment with Klamath Community College’s Core Themes of:
- Provides accessible education and services
- Provides quality education and services
- Meets the diverse needs of our students, business, and community
- Supports student success in workforce training, academic transfer, foundational skills, and community education
The goals herein can also be found in the Learning Resource Center’s Strategic Goals for 2014 – 2017.
GOAL 1: Ensure highest-quality tutor assistance.
In order to provide quality education and services the LRC will seek to improve tutor services in ways that benefit both the student users and the tutors. KCC students reported an average satisfactory rating of 75% on the performance of the LRC’s tutors. To increase the satisfaction of students,certifications, trainings, and other activities will be explored.
The LRC will begin the process of tutor certification and continue with plans to more effectively continue this program. Using feedback garnered from other stakeholders on campus, we will make this a higher priority for the coming year and will allocate resources in support of this goal.We will switch eTutoring platforms to one that is more interactive and addresses multiple learning modalities to improve student access to tutoring services and success and will be looking for professional development opportunities for tutors and continue the process of certification.
4. PERSONNEL SUMMARY
4A. Provide an organizational chart of the program.
4B. Are current management and staff adequate to perform functions and responsibilities satisfactorily to achieve program goals? Explain the job functions of each position.
Tutors provide supplementary instruction in a wide variety of academic areas in both on-on-one and group settings. Current management and staff is adequate to meet student demand, but in order to perform the job functions and responsibilities satisfactorily to achieve program goals, more trained and education full-time tutors are needed. As of the writing of this document, 26 tutors are currently employed in the tutoring center, all but one on a part-time basis. Of these 26 tutors, 12 are strictly in-class or online tutors.
4C. Describe organizational changes that will improve program performance, provide timeliness for the achievement of such changes, and describe measures that will assess the effectiveness of such changes.
Through our tutoring certification process now in process, we anticipate a shift in the Tutoring Center staffing model away from multiple part-time peer tutoring to hiring fewer tutors at more hours with greater academic qualifications (subject area Bachelor’s Degree required, Masters preferred) and training.In this year’s LRC reorganization, a new job description for “Lead Tutor” was also created, the goal being to begin the transition mentioned above by first employing one full-time tutor (a ‘Lead’) in each subject area. The challenge will be in finding and retaining such employees locally and getting certain pay raises and new job positions approved by various deparments. Before next program review, these changes should be in place.
5. STAFF DEVELOPMENT
5A. Describe specific professional development activities in which program members participate, and explain how such activities benefit or enhance the program and support and facilitate student learning outcomes.
Tutors provide supplementary instruction in a wide variety of academic areas in both on-on-one and group settings. Currently, no specific professional development activities exist in which program members participate. The need for this has been identified, and various avenues are being explored to meet this need, as you can see in 5B.
Additionally, as part of the LRC reorganization, a new procedure has been developed where all LRC employees, including tutors, can request and receive funds to support their pursuit of professional development opportunities.
5B. Describe areas of unmet professional development needs among personnel in this program, if applicable, and outline plans to address those needs.
Tutors could benefit from National Tutoring Associating trainings and certifications. We are currently in the midst of our first pilot program of this training, where 6 current LRC tutors have been given the finds to join the organization (thus giving them the benefit of their resources for additional, self-directed professional development) as well as purchased Basic Tutor Level webinars. These webinars are three hours and are advertised to “Explore essential, basic topics and strategies for effective tutor training. Among other topics, the presenter will discuss: the role of the tutor; how a tutor helps a student improve grades; the difference between tutoring and teaching; the initial tutor/student meeting; tutor protocols, student evaluation; and how to create a mutual study plan.”[2] Once these webinars are completed and passed, the 6 tutors will be eligible for NTA Basic Level TutoringCertification.
Furthermore, a new procedure has been developed that allows tutors to request KCC funds for professional development activities and travel. This will be implemented in Winter 2016. The LRC is also exploring having KCC Faculty and Instructor’s provide targeted tutor training for their specific courses/subjects.
6. FACILITIES AND EQUIPMENT
6A.Are current facilities, such as classrooms, offices and equipment, adequate to support the program? Explain.
The Tutoring Center space needs to be increased to meet current and future student demands, and would benefit from sound dampening technologies and subject-specific spaces. Thus far, all supplies are adequate to support the program and no increase in these is required.
6B. Is available equipment adequate to support the program? Explain.
The Tutoring Center currently uses paper/pencil entry systems to log use, which is both inefficient and not FERPA compliant. An electronic sign-in system is needed in both areas.
7. FINANCIAL RESOURCES
7A. Provide a financial report. Explain deviations from budget exceeding 10% of any line item.
The Tutoring Center’s overall budget has not exceeded given funds in any year. However, at times, it has been necessary to work with the business office in order to move funds from one line item to the other, depending on library needs in certain areas for that year.
7B. Describe plans for future budget changes.
No current plans for future budget changes exist as the LRC is currently fully-funded.
8. STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES
8A. List and comment on the major strengths of the program.
Current usage of the Tutoring Center remains consistently high from term to term, which means students are aware of and are taking advantage of the many services our tutors can provide. The faculty and instructors at KCC are likewise very aware of the in person tutoring services we offer, and are quick to recommend us to students as well as recommend potential new tutors to us to further improve our services. We are adaptive and reactive to incoming usage data, nimble enough to hire new tutors immediately when needed or to get back on hours that are being wasted.
8B. List, comment on, and recommend improvements on the major weaknesses of the program.
The current staffing model in place for the Tutoring Center, where the majority of tutors are part-time, peer tutors, does not optimally serve our student population. A new staffing model is needed, where full-time professional tutors make up at least half of the Tutoring Center employees and more frequent trainings and professional development opportunities are available.
9. SUMMARY AND ACTION PLAN
9A. Summary
The Tutoring Center is a vital part of the Learning Resource Center and Klamath Community College as a whole. The center excels at working within budget, responding to new and different community needs, and has become an institution upon which students and instructors rely. Our current staffing, while not optimal, is sufficient to meet current expectations and demands. The two major impediments identified in this review are space constraints and FERPA non-compliance in our sign-in systems.